GEORGETOWN, GUYANA – Guyana’s election season has been thrown into fresh controversy after Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd revealed that US-sanctioned businessman and presidential candidate Azruddin Mohamed has been allegedly making repeated visits to the Venezuelan Embassy in Georgetown and has recently applied for a visa to travel to Caracas.
The disclosure, made in an interview with the Department of Public Information, follows recent warnings from US Congressman Carlos Gimenez, who accused Venezuela of trying to influence Guyana’s internal affairs through Mohamed. Todd said he summoned the Venezuelan ambassador, who confirmed the visa application, and warned that the timing — just weeks before Guyana’s September 1, 2025 elections — raises serious national security concerns.
“We can follow a pattern now,” Todd said. “At a time like this, we cannot rule out any attempt by Venezuela to derail our electoral process. This is a matter of national sovereignty.”
President Dr. Irfaan Ali and Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo have echoed similar concerns, arguing that Mohamed’s political ambitions, financial networks, and alleged foreign ties could undermine Guyana’s independence and damage relations with key allies, including the United States. Todd added: “It is clear that the Mohameds are close to Nicolás Maduro and his regime. That poses a serious threat to our sovereignty.”
The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Mohamed, his father Nazar, and their companies — Mohamed’s Enterprise, Hadi’s World, and Team Mohamed’s Racing — in June 2024 for alleged large-scale gold smuggling, corruption, and evading more than US$50 million in taxes from under-declared exports between 2019 and 2023. The sanctions also linked the group to Maduro’s government.
Mohamed is also facing domestic charges, including undervaluing a Lamborghini from US$695,000 to US$75,000 to avoid import taxes. A recent video showing him handing out cash in an Indigenous community prompted the Guyana Elections Commission to warn that offering inducements to voters is illegal and punishable by fines or imprisonment.
Attorney General Anil Nandlall has cautioned that Mohamed’s sanctioned status could threaten Guyana’s banking system, noting that at least one bank has already distanced itself from his accounts.
But Mohamed has strongly rejected all accusations, calling them politically motivated lies. He claims the ruling People’s Progressive Party government is financing a smear campaign against him, using US lobbying firms to portray him as an agent of the Maduro regime. “My father is Essequibo-born. I would never betray the soil my family is rooted in. I stand firmly for Guyana’s sovereignty — I always have and always will,” Mohamed said. He has accused the government of “weaponizing propaganda” to derail his campaign.
Critics remain unconvinced. Pro-government commentators argue that Mohamed’s denials do not erase the risks posed by his political and business activities, particularly in light of the sanctions and ongoing criminal charges. Still, the clash of narratives leaves voters facing a stark choice: whether to see Mohamed as a dangerous foreign-linked operator or as the victim of a calculated political takedown.
With less than a month to go before the polls, the stakes extend far beyond one candidacy — touching on sovereignty, economic stability, and Guyana’s standing on the world stage.
