The chasm between Diageo and Puerto Rican organizations widened after National Puerto Rican Day Parade, Inc. announced it had dropped Diageo as a sponsor of its signature event, which will be held in New York City on June 13. Diageo’s Smirnoff, Captain Morgan and Jose Cuervo brands have been a part of the parade for thirty years, but that relationship has been cut short due to the fallout over the company’s rum production agreement with the U.S. Virgin Islands. “The corporate sponsorships of Captain Morgan and its British parent, Diageo, are no longer welcome,” said Madelyn Lugo, the Chairperson of the parade organizer in a release issued by the National Puerto Rican Coalition (NPRC).

The NPRC is hoping the decision will help persuade New York Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand to take up Puerto Rico’s cause in Congress, where Senator George LeMieux of Florida has introduced a bill that would split rum cover-over funds between Puerto Rico and the U.S.V.I. based on population, not rum production. Diageo had no comment regarding the decision to terminate its affiliation with the parade.