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Lin-Manuel Miranda joins rally against Puerto Rico governor

Jul 17, 2019 | 9:41 PM

NEW YORK — “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda has joined protests in New York demanding the resignation of Puerto Rico’s governor.

Miranda led about 200 people, many from Puerto Rico, at a rally in Manhattan’s Union Square on Wednesday. They waved Puerto Rican flags and followed him to a drumbeat, chanting in Spanish, “Viva Puerto Rico libre,” which translates to “Long live free Puerto Rico.”

A leaked series of chat messages has compounded outrage over corruption. The messages show the governor and key aides mocking women, the disabled and Hurricane Maria victims.

Miranda said the alleged corruption surrounding the governor of the U.S. territory “is the last straw and Puerto Ricans are standing up against it.”

Puerto Rico has been mired in crises, still struggling with debt and the aftermath of the 2017 hurricane that collapsed the country’s electrical system and left thousands dead.

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This story corrects Lin-Manuel Miranda’s quote and the translation of “Viva Puerto Rico libre.”

The Associated Press