–Todd highlights after meeting with Bolivarian Republic’s Ambassador
–says this poses grave threat to Guyana’s sovereignty

Venezuelan Ambassador to Guyana, Carlos Amador Perez Silva, has confirmed that U.S.-sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed and members of his family, allegedly, recently applied for visas to travel to Caracas.

This is according to Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, who during an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI) on Tuesday, raised an alarm over “grave concerns” for Guyana’s sovereignty, democracy and vital international partnerships.

Minister Todd revealed that the confirmation came during a meeting he requested with the Ambassador after learning that the Mohameds, long accused by U.S. officials of ties to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s regime, had been making frequent visits to the Venezuelan Embassy in Georgetown.

“Only recently, we found out that the Mohamed’s have been frequently visiting the Venezuela embassy here in Georgetown…When I summoned the Venezuelan ambassador, he confirmed that the Mohamed’s visited the embassy to apply for visas to go to Venezuela, specifically Caracas,” Todd said.

According to Todd, this development is “no coincidence” and must be seen against the backdrop of mounting evidence from international partners, including the United States, that Venezuela is actively seeking to undermine Guyana’s democratic processes and territorial integrity.
“We know that Venezuela would use any attempt to derail the case before the ICJ, and they will explore every opportunity possible to threaten our sovereignty and territorial integrity. This can pose a threat, particularly at this moment of our General and Regional Elections, when we know foreign interference is possible,” Todd stressed.

Mohamed a ‘Pro-Maduro Puppet’- U.S. Officials
In recent weeks, members of the U.S. Congress have issued stern warnings to Guyana.
Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar said, “We remain deeply concerned about efforts to undermine democracy in Guyana… Individuals sanctioned for illicit activities must not be allowed to jeopardise this vital relationship.”

Meanwhile, Congressman Carlos Gimenez accused the Maduro regime of backing “pro-Maduro puppet candidate Azruddin Mohamed,” pointing to his status as a sanctioned individual by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

In June 2024, OFAC sanctioned Nazar Mohamed, his son Azruddin, and their businesses, Mohamed’s Enterprise, Hadi’s World, and Team Mohamed’s Racing, alleging that between 2019 and 2023 they had under-declared over 10,000 kilogrammes of gold exports, defrauding Guyana of more than US$50 million in taxes.

Azruddin, now the public face of the newly formed We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) political party, has been repeatedly linked by U.S. officials to illicit gold smuggling and money laundering operations tied to Venezuela.

Minister Todd warned that any alignment between the Mohameds and the Maduro regime could have severe repercussions.
“If it is clear that the Mohamed’s are close to Nicolás Maduro and his regime, that can pose a serious threat to our sovereignty, and it can also affect our relations with the United States and our traditional partnership. It is of grave concern to us as a people and as a nation,” Minister Todd warned.
With Guyana’s ICJ case ongoing, national elections approaching, Todd reaffirmed that the Government would remain vigilant and proactive to prevent any external attempt to destabilise the nation.