News report: http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues/2004/vol8n23/WashUpdate0823-en.shtml

Edited from the Puerto Rico Herald 4 June 2004:

"The Puerto Rico delegation to the Democratic Party’s presidential nominating convention will be evenly split between the territory’s "commonwealth" and statehood parties. The 50/50 split was insisted on by representatives of the presumptive nominee Senator John Kerry."

"As there were 53 candidates for the 53 delegate positions, Roberto Prats, chair of the territorial Democratic committee, cancelled the caucuses."

"The statehood party’s Senate leader, Kenneth McClintock, Puerto Rico’s Democratic National Committeeman, negotiated the composition of the delegation with Prats. It includes 29 people nominated by Prats and 29 put forth by McClintock. In addition to Prats and McClintock and the 53 "elected" delegates, the delegation includes "commonwealth" party gubernatorial candidate Anibal Acevedo Vila because of his position as the territory’s resident commissioner in the U.S. Congress, Puerto Rico’s Democratic National Committeewoman, and the territorial Democratic committee’s vice-chair."

"The Kerry campaign had the power to enforce its position because it could veto candidates "running" as pledged to support the senator from Massachusetts. With Kerry having no opposition for the nomination, all of Puerto Rico’s delegates are to be pledged to Kerry."

Reference: http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P04/DSP/PR-D.pdf