President Irfaan Ali came out swinging Monday morning, rejecting claims that his government is spending tens of thousands of U.S. dollars each month to politically target businessman and Presidential Candidate Azruddin Mohamed through an American lobbying firm.
Speaking to reporters outside a public event, a visibly irritated President Ali dismissed the media in a blunt and disrespectful tone. “I don’t understand what you’re 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, and you need to come again with facts,” he said.
But public records filed with the U.S. Justice Department tell a different story.
The firm in question, Continental Strategy LLC, has openly disclosed a six-month, US$50,000-per-month contract with Guyana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The filings include not just the official agreement, but also email exchanges between the firm and a U.S. congressional office. Those emails contained five draft tweets—all of them attacking Mohamed and linking him to the Venezuelan regime of Nicolás Maduro.
On Monday, a U.S. Congressman released a tweet that closely mirrors one of those drafts, deepening concerns that the lobbying firm may be acting on behalf of the Guyana Government in a political smear effort.
President Ali, however, doubled down, calling the story fabricated. “Don’t come with your made-up stories for your own political narrative that your news agency is geared towards,” he snapped at reporters.
When questioned about the purpose of hiring a lobbying firm, Ali pointed to geopolitical concerns. “Venezuela remains a threat. We have the capability to keep our allies informed and to work with them diplomatically to ensure our message is clear,” he said.
Asked specifically why that message would involve a Guyanese political opponent, the President launched into a fiery condemnation. “Azruddin Mohamed is no saint. He’s been sanctioned by the U.S. Government and OFAC. He has defrauded Guyana of US$50 million in recent years. He’s dangerous to our society,” Ali said.
As the line of questioning continued, the President stepped into his vehicle—only to abruptly step back out and insist his party does not rely on state resources.
“The People’s Progressive Party does not need state resources to run our campaign. Our campaign is run by the People’s Progressive Party with resources provided by the people of Guyana, and we are strong and will defeat any force that is ahead of us,” he declared.
Mohamed, who is running under the WIN (We Invest in Nationhood) party, has pushed back hard, accusing the government of using public funds to orchestrate an attack against him from abroad. He denied any links to the Maduro regime and pointed directly to the U.S. Congressman’s tweet as evidence of foreign interference backed by the Guyana Government.
The controversy now adds another layer of tension to an already high-stakes political environment, as questions mount over how far the government is willing to go to protect its narrative—and whether Guyanese taxpayers are footing the bill.
