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HomeArticlesJAGDEO UNAPOLOGETIC AS U.S. LOBBYING FIRM LINKS AZRUDDIN MOHAMED TO VENEZUELA

JAGDEO UNAPOLOGETIC AS U.S. LOBBYING FIRM LINKS AZRUDDIN MOHAMED TO VENEZUELA

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has doubled down on the Government’s decision to hire a U.S. lobbying firm, insisting at a press conference today that he has “no apology” to offer—even as controversy mounts over tweets linking Presidential Candidate Azruddin Mohamed to Venezuela.

In a fiery and unapologetic defense, Jagdeo confirmed that the now-viral tweets tying Mohamed to the Nicolás Maduro regime originated from the U.S. lobbying firm hired by the Government of Guyana. But he denied that his administration supplied the controversial information, claiming instead that the firm acted independently and possibly relied on its own investigations.

“If they went beyond their scope and made that connection, then they must have their own information. We didn’t tell them to do that,” Jagdeo stated, appearing to distance the Government from the explosive allegations.

The Vice President’s comments come amid growing tension between the Government and Mohamed, a wealthy businessman recently sanctioned by the U.S. and now a political contender. The U.S. firm—whose name has not been publicly emphasized by officials—was originally hired to address threats from Venezuela and promote Guyana’s position in the ongoing border dispute.

But the lobbying efforts took a political turn when a U.S. Congressman tweeted claims tying Mohamed to Venezuela—claims that Jagdeo now admits were crafted and distributed by the firm, with the knowledge of U.S. officials.

“A lobbyist can tell them anything,” Jagdeo said, “but they don’t make things up out of thin air. They have to file everything publicly in the U.S. We didn’t discover this through some hidden channel. It’s there in black and white.”

Jagdeo pointed to a 2023 Reuters report that linked an unnamed Guyanese businessman to gold smuggling operations for Venezuela. While that report didn’t name Mohamed directly, the Vice President seemed to suggest that the pieces are now falling into place.

“Connect the dots,” he urged.

The Vice President also hinted that the U.S. lawmakers who made the tweets were not acting blindly. “They have to know what they’re talking about. If they say there’s a connection [to Venezuela], I believe it.”

Mohamed and his party have pushed back fiercely, accusing the Government of weaponizing taxpayer money and state resources to smear a political opponent via well-placed U.S. connections.

“This is a targeted political campaign,” a spokesperson for Mohamed’s party claimed earlier this week, “funded by the very people this Government claims to protect.”

But Jagdeo appeared unfazed. In fact, he hinted that more aggressive lobbying could be on the horizon.

“If we have to pay 10 lobbyists to keep this country safe, we will,” he declared. “Their job is to keep the U.S. government briefed on threats coming from the Maduro angle and our border issue. We will do what it takes.”

As the election season heats up and the stakes rise in Guyana’s increasingly polarized political landscape, this latest development is expected to fuel even more public scrutiny—especially as concerns grow over the intersection of foreign lobbying and domestic politics.

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