A United States (U.S.) lawmaker has raised an alarm that a sanctioned Guyanese political figure is allegedly acting as a “pro-Maduro puppet.”
The U.S. congressman Carlos Gimenez shared on social media that the Bolivarian Republic is attempting to destabilise Guyana’s sovereignty by backing the U.S.-sanctioned businessman.
In a post on ‘X,’ formerly known as twitter, Gimenez wrote: “In the U.S. Congress we are alarmed by the regime in Venezuela’s attempt to undermine #Guyana through its pro-Maduro puppet candidate Azruddin Mohamed, who is sanctioned by OFAC!

“The Western Hemisphere must remain a stronghold of freedom — not a breeding ground for communist dictatorships.”
Nazar Mohamed, his son Azruddin and their businesses, namely Mohamed’s Enterprise, Hadi’s World and Team Mohamed’s Racing, on June 11 2024, were sanctioned by U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which oversees sanctions against individuals and entities tied to illicit activities and hostile foreign governments.
Recently, President, Dr Irfaan Ali had said that the September 1 General and Regional Elections is “more than just choosing a political party,” but also a defining moment for Guyana’s national security, global standing and ensuring development for future generations.

Given the country’s progress and global standing, the President also emphasised that leadership must not fall into the hands of those whose affiliations and agendas may compromise Guyana’s territorial integrity.

The President firmly stated that the nation’s safety and security, sovereignty and territorial integrity, require partners and allies to be on the same side with Guyana.
He said: “…Our allies and our friends have signalled to us that there are people in this country who are dangerous to the national security, who are dangerous to the sovereignty, who will put at risk the sovereignty of this country because their dealings are intertwined with countries and this particular country that is an enemy to Guyana.”

Without naming persons, President Ali’s statement underscored the importance of preserving Guyana’s relationships with its international and regional partners, and persons not allowing those with insidious agendas cloaked in a flurry of attractive promises to mislead them.
The U.S. government and other international and regional partners have long supported Guyana’s sovereignty and urged respect for the nation’s territorial integrity in the ongoing border controversy with Venezuela.

The genesis of the border controversy goes back to the 1899 Arbitral Award, a landmark decision that delineated the boundary between British Guiana (now Guyana) and Venezuela. Decades after this historic award, Venezuela reignited tensions by challenging its validity.

In 2018, Guyana took a decisive step by approaching the International Court of Justice (ICJ) seeking affirmation of the award’s legitimacy.
Venezuela initially claimed that the ICJ lacked jurisdiction, a contention flatly rejected by the World Court in a crucial ruling in December 2020. The door was thus opened for the ICJ to delve into the merits of the substantive case.