HGP Nightly News – United States Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot has delivered an unequivocal message: Washington is “100% committed” to securing the extradition of indicted businessman Nazar Mohamed and his son, Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed. But the ambassador’s current hardline stance stands in stark contrast to her position just weeks ago, when she insisted that Guyana’s democracy must function and that the US could “work around” the legal troubles of the presumptive opposition leader.
Theriot left no room for ambiguity. “We want to see this happen, and we want justice served, both for the Guyanese and the US people,” she declared. The extradition request, formally signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio late last year, represents a significant investment of American resources and diplomatic capital. “The US government does not spend tens of thousands of US taxpayer dollars to request extradition if we’re not serious,” she stated flatly.
“I want to make it incredibly clear that the US is 100% committed to seeing this through,” Theriot added, her words landing with unmistakable weight as the case continues its slow path through Guyana’s courts. Yet this forceful declaration marks a striking evolution from the ambassador’s public statements just over a month ago.
In January 2026, as the newly elected Parliament faced pressure to formalize Azruddin Mohamed’s position as Leader of the Opposition, Theriot struck a notably different tone. She acknowledged that Mohamed’s legal battle with US authorities “complicates matters” but insisted that democratic continuity must take precedence.
“It’s not the easiest thing in the world to deal with but what’s most important is that your democracy functions,” Theriot told reporters in January. She emphasized that the will of the Guyanese electorate must be respected and that Parliament cannot properly function without a formally recognised opposition leader.
Crucially, the ambassador outlined how the US would manage the apparent contradiction between pursuing a man’s extradition while simultaneously insisting he be elevated to high political office. “If he is involved in certain aspects of government that we have to deal with, if it involves anything financial or contractual then that might be a slight problem for us and we would just have to ask that someone else work on that issue,” she explained.
“So for us, we can work around it, it complicates matter but we could work around it.” The case has drawn sustained national and international attention, with proceedings in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts facing repeated delays, most recently due to the reported ill health of Nazar Mohamed and procedural issues raised by the defence.
Both men have been under US scrutiny for years. In 2022, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on the pair, accusing them of involvement in public corruption, including alleged bribery linked to government officials. In 2024, both were formally indicted in the United States on multiple financial crime charges, including allegations related to money laundering and tax evasion.
Now, with Theriot’s unequivocal statement of commitment, Washington has made clear that its patience, while respectful of Guyana’s judicial process, is not without limits. “We are watching from afar,” she said. “We’re not interfering, but we’re very, very interested in the outcome, and we’re fully committed.
“The contrast between January’s accommodation and February’s determination could not be starker. Then, the ambassador urged Guyana to move forward with democratic processes despite the “complications.” Now, she speaks of justice for both Guyanese and American people, a subtle but significant reframing that places the alleged victims of the Mohameds’ purported crimes at the centre of the narrative.
