What he wants is a sovereignty in which his indictment gets wiped off the books.
He wants a get-out-of-jail-free card. He wants to change the subject.
Playing the nationalistic card serves Acevedo well because 1) his winning the governorship in 2004 was only possible thanks to independence supporters who bolted the PIP and voted for him (a support he must be desperately counting on again) and 2) he is all too sorry he got caught raiding campaign-money cookie jar.
Regarding the latter reason, Acevedo should have known better. Running for federal elective office in 2000, he was bound by federal election laws, hence indictments from the local U.S. Attorney.