Georgetown, Guyana – September 4, 2025 – The shock entry of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party into Guyana’s National Assembly has immediately collided with international controversy, as its leader, businessman Azruddin Mohamed, remains under US sanctions. On Wednesday, US Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot made it clear that while Washington will not engage with Mohamed on any financial or transactional matters, it will find “creative” ways to deal with Parliament despite his presence.
Speaking to reporters, Ambassador Theriot did not downplay the awkwardness of the situation. “We’ve had OFAC-sanctioned individuals in governments in other places of the world, several in fact, and we find ways to work around that… We wouldn’t be able to work directly with Mr. Mohamed in any sort of transaction or financial situation, but we will be able to work with other parliamentarians and other people on the particular Committee that we are dealing with,” she explained.
Mohamed, sanctioned last year by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) along with his father, their businesses, and Permanent Secretary Mae Thomas, led the WIN Party into the September 1 polls as its presidential candidate. With WIN poised to enter the National Assembly as the largest opposition party, Mohamed could now be tapped to serve as Opposition Leader; an unprecedented scenario that would test Guyana’s relationship with the United States.
The ambassador emphasized that sanctions are financial in nature, meaning Mohamed can still participate in legislative work, including on committees that interact with US interests. However, Theriot stressed repeatedly that the US Government would not compromise on its laws. “There are ways to work around it, and we will just work with the US law as it prescribes,” she said.
Mohamed’s candidacy had already drawn concern from the US mission ahead of the election. Ambassador Theriot previously warned that his election to Parliament could force Washington to rethink how it engages with Guyana. Now, with WIN preparing to take its seats, the uneasy dance between legality, diplomacy, and political reality has begun.
