Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo clarified on Thursday that the Government of Guyana did not instruct a United States lobbying firm to raise concerns about businessman Azruddin Mohamed with US officials. Instead, he emphasized that the firm was hired to address threats and aggressions from Venezuela.
“We don’t tell the lobbyists what to do on a daily basis,” Jagdeo stated during a press conference for the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C). He was responding to questions about the hiring of the US lobbying firm, Continental Strategy, after US congresspersons expressed concerns regarding Mohamed’s candidacy in the upcoming elections.
Documents filed by Continental Strategy indicate that the Guyana government engaged the firm for federal advocacy in the United States. Jagdeo explained that the firm was tasked with enhancing engagements with US lawmakers, as the US is a key ally for Guyana, particularly in defending the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
He noted that if US congresspersons made tweets about Mohamed, it was likely not solely due to lobbying efforts, as these officials receive intelligence briefings and conduct research through their staff. He remarked, “If they can create that link and if a congressman has added his name to such a tweet, then trust me, the congressman, there is a connection.”
Jagdeo suggested that this connection might pertain to the illegal export of Venezuelan gold, linking Mohamed to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
In response to a tweet from US Congressman Carlos Gimenez labeling him as “pro-Maduro,” Azruddin Mohamed rejected the characterization. In a statement on Team Mohamed’s Facebook page, he asserted that he has been falsely portrayed as an agent of the Maduro regime and reaffirmed his commitment to Guyana’s sovereignty.
On June 11, 2024, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury announced sanctions against the Mohamed family, specifically targeting Nazar Mohamed, his son Azruddin Mohamed, and their businesses, including Mohamed’s Enterprise and Team Mohamed’s Racing.
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