Through US Lobbying Firm.
News Source Guyana Reports : President Irfaan Ali has strongly denied allegations that his Government has been using state resources to finance a political attack on Presidential Candidate Azruddin Mohamed through a US-based lobbying firm.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event this morning, President Ali dismissed the claims as baseless and politically motivated.
“I don’t understand what you are saying about a lobbying firm being hired. The Government has hired no lobbying firm to target anyone, so the premise of your question is wrong. You need to come again with facts,” the President said in response to a question from News Source.
However, public records filed with the US Department of Justice tell a different story. US lobbying firm Continental Strategy LLC disclosed in its Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) filings that it was hired by the Guyana Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under a six-month contract valued at US$50,000 per month. The firm included copies of its contract and email exchanges with the office of a US Congressman—communications that featured “draft tweets” targeting Azruddin Mohamed, portraying him as being linked to the Nicolás Maduro regime in Venezuela.
One of those tweets, mirroring the draft provided by the lobbying firm, was published by the US Congressman on Monday.
Despite the documented filings, President Ali insisted the narrative was fabricated.
“Don’t come with your made-up stories for your own political narrative that your news agency is geared towards,” he told reporters.
When pressed further about the Government’s engagement with the lobbying firm, particularly in relation to Venezuela and Mohamed, President Ali maintained that Guyana is committed to protecting its diplomatic interests.
“Venezuela remains a threat. We have the capability and necessary partnerships to keep our allies informed and ensure our diplomatic communications are intact,” the President said.
Asked how this diplomatic effort relates to targeting a domestic political opponent, President Ali was blunt in his assessment of Mohamed.
“Azruddin Mohamed has been accused by the US Government and has been sanctioned. He has defrauded Guyana of US$50 million according to US documents. This is no saint. This is a man dangerous to our society,” Ali said, referencing Mohamed’s sanctions by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
As reporters continued to question him on the potential misuse of Government funds for political attacks, President Ali initially left the event but briefly returned to make a final statement.
“The People’s Progressive Party does not need state resources to run our campaign. Our campaign is run by the people of Guyana. We will defeat any force ahead of us,” he declared.
Meanwhile, Azruddin Mohamed, Presidential Candidate of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, has accused the Government of weaponizing taxpayer funds by enlisting a foreign entity to orchestrate a smear campaign against him. He pointed to the Congressman’s tweet and the associated draft tweets filed by Continental Strategy as clear evidence.
Mohamed has strongly denied any affiliation with the Maduro regime or the Venezuelan Government, calling the allegations false and politically motivated.
“This is an abuse of public funds and a disgraceful attempt to undermine democracy,” Mohamed stated in a press release.
The controversy has further intensified the political climate ahead of Guyana’s highly anticipated General and Regional Elections, slated for September 1, 2025.
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