6-State Coalition to 'Stop Diageo Now'

Grassroots Effort Will Encourage Boycott of Diageo Products

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, March 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Puerto Rican Coalition will spearhead a new six-state Coalition to Stop Diageo Now, leaders of the effort announced in San Juan.

"With organizational structures in place in Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, we are now positioned to launch a grass-roots effort to educate voters about Captain Morgan Rum's $2.7 million raid on poor people in both Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and let them know which candidates will end the practice," said NPRC Chairman Miguel Lausell.

"The 'Stop Diageo Now' Coalition will send the message that money intended for America's poorest citizens should not be diverted instead to the bottom line of British corporations," added NPRC President Rafael Fantauzzi.

"We will urge consumers to stop consuming Diageo's products until Congress enacts sensible legislation to ensure that tax dollars intended for helping poor people are not diverted to international conglomerates," added Lausell.

The Coalition will educate the public about how Diageo, PLC, a London-based liquor conglomerate, has managed to siphon fully half of the money Congress intended to be used to meet the social needs of both Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The subsidies, in the form of relocation incentives to encourage Diageo to move its Captain Morgan distillery from Puerto Rico to St. Croix, represent 50 percent of all revenues that will be received by the Virgin Islands as a result of the company's relocation. Legislation pending in Congress would set a 10% limit on the portion of excise tax rebates any rum producer could receive in subsidies.

Besides Captain Morgan, Diageo manufactures Bailey's Irish Cream, Guinness, J&B scotch, Johnny Walker, Jose Cuervo tequila and Smirnoff vodka, among others.

Charter members of the Stop Diageo Now Coalition include:

• Puerto Rican Parade (CT)
• Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce of South Florida (Sarasota, FL)
• Sarasota Puerto Rican Chamber of Florida (FL)
• US Hispanic Leadership Institute (IL)
• National Puerto Rican Day Parade (NY)
• Puerto Rican Family Institute (NY)
• Yonkers Puerto Rican/Hispanic Day Parade Foundation (NY)
• Parada San Juan Bautista (Camden, NJ/PA)
• Desfile de la Hispanidad, (Trenton, NJ)
• Comite Patriotico Cultural Puertorriqueno (NJ)
• Desfile Estatal Puertorriqueno de New Jersey (NJ)

SOURCE National Puerto Rican Coalition

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