GEORGETOWN, GUYANA – August 6, 2025 — United States Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot is pushing back against accusations that she or the U.S. government is trying to meddle in Guyana’s upcoming elections, calling the claims unfair and unfounded.
“I was a little upset by that characterisation,” Ambassador Theriot said Wednesday in response to growing chatter over her recent remarks about the consequences of having a U.S.-sanctioned individual enter Guyana’s Parliament. “I was stating facts.”
The criticism stems from the Ambassador’s earlier warning that U.S.-Guyana relations could be affected if someone sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) were to assume a seat in the National Assembly. The comment triggered concern in some quarters, with opponents accusing her of overstepping diplomatic bounds.
But Theriot firmly denied any intent to interfere in Guyana’s electoral process.
“We have absolutely no interest in interfering in your elections,” she told reporters. “This is a sovereign country—you run your elections as you see fit.”
She explained that her earlier remarks were made in response to a direct question about what OFAC sanctions mean in terms of diplomatic engagement. She said she simply outlined what has happened in other countries where sanctioned individuals held public office and how the U.S. government had to adjust its interactions as a result.
“I gave the facts as I understand them, as they are published on our Department of Treasury website,” she said.
The ambassador’s response comes at a tense point in the election season, with political rhetoric heating up and international scrutiny becoming more pronounced. While some have interpreted her comments as a veiled warning, others view it as a matter-of-fact explanation of longstanding U.S. policy toward sanctioned individuals.
Still, Ambassador Theriot made it clear: she has no stake in who Guyanese voters elect. “How you run your elections is entirely up to you,” she said.
Her comments may not silence critics entirely, but they underscore a growing tension between domestic politics and international diplomacy as the country heads toward its September 1 general and regional elections.
