Nazar Mohamed’s embassy visit: Foreign Ministry calls out Venezuelan Ambassador over “troubling, inconsistent” statements

Guyana’s Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ministry on Wednesday raised concerns about the inconsistency in the remarks being made by the Venezuelan Ambassador to Guyana regarding the visit of United States (US)-sanctioned and indicted Guyanese businessman, Nazar “Shell” Mohamed, to the embassy in Georgetown.

Back in August, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Hugh Todd expressed concerns over the Mohameds’ frequent visits to the Venezuelan Embassy in Georgetown. Weeks later, video evidence emerged showing Mohamed leaving the Venezuelan Embassy earlier that month.
At the time, Todd said he had summoned Venezuela’s Ambassador to Guyana, Carlos Amador Perez Silva, to a meeting on the issue, and the diplomat indicated that Mohamed “visited the embassy to apply for visas to go to Venezuela, specifically Caracas” – something which the Foreign Minister noted is alarming in light of recent concerns raised by at least two US Congress members over what they described as Venezuela’s attempt to influence internal affairs in Guyana, specifically through the younger Mohamed.

Nazar and his son, Azruddin Mohamed, the latter of whom founded the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) political party that contested the September 1 elections in Guyana as the presidential candidate and is now on the verge of entering Guyana’s Parliament as the Opposition Leader after his party secured 16 seats to become the main opposition, were previously sanctioned along with several of their businesses and were recently indicted by the US for gold smuggling.
But now, the Foreign Ministry has called out the Venezuelan diplomat for changing his remarks on the matter, questioning, “…why the Ambassador is being secretive about the visit of Mr Nazar Mohamed to the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela regarding a visa application.”
During a recent interview with a local newspaper, it was reported that neither Mohamed, the father, nor the son had been to the embassy – something which, the Ministry said, stands in direct contradiction to the Ambassador’s earlier account during the meeting with Minister Todd.

According to Wednesday’s statement from the Foreign Ministry, “On that occasion, the Ambassador clearly confirmed that Mr [Nazar] Mohamed had indeed visited the Venezuelan Embassy and further offered specific details concerning the documentation presented and the purpose of the engagement.”
In fact, the Ministry revealed that the Venezuelan diplomat indicated that the event referenced in the visa application was scheduled for July 2025, while the actual visit to the Embassy occurred in August 2025.
“This information was shared directly by the Ambassador when summoned for clarification on the matter. The Ministry, therefore, views the Ambassador’s subsequent denial as both troubling and inconsistent with his previous statement,” the missive from Takuba Lodge in Georgetown detailed.
Nevertheless, the Ministry went on to reaffirm its expectation that all representatives of foreign missions accredited to Georgetown will conduct their duties with the highest standards of honesty, professionalism, and respect for the norms governing diplomatic relations.
With Venezuela making claims to more than two-thirds of Guyana’s landmass and portions of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) offshore, a matter that is currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for settlement, coupled with the country’s September 1 elections, the Guyana Government was concerned about the Mohameds’ association with Venezuela.
In fact, earlier this year, US Congress members Carlos Gimenez and María Elvira Salazar called Azruddin Mohamed a “puppet” of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, an accusation the Guyanese businessman has refuted.
Moreover, Azruddin Mohamed has also denied visiting the Venezuelan Embassy, but Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo subsequently said that there is video evidence of the elder Mohamed going to the embassy.
That CCTV footage, obtained by this publication on August 29, shows Mohamed walking out of the Venezuelan Embassy in the company of another person at about 14:01h on August 7, 2025. He could be seen entering a vehicle, which subsequently drove off. This publication has since confirmed that the vehicle, PAG 3664, is registered to the Mohameds.
In 2024, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed, as well as several of their companies, for smuggling more than 10,000 kilograms of gold into the US and avoiding paying over US$50 million in duty taxes in Guyana.
Meanwhile, earlier this month, a grand jury in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida indicted the father and son duo on 11 criminal charges ranging from wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering, primarily connected to the export of gold to the US by Mohamed’s Enterprises.
Nazar Mohamed is said to own 90 per cent of Mohamed’s Enterprise, while Azruddin Mohamed owns the remaining 10 per cent.
According to court documents, a shipment containing some US$5.3 million in gold bars that was shipped from Guyana by Mohamed Enterprise was seized at Miami International Airport on June 11, 2024 – something that was not previously reported.
The Mohameds are facing a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment on the most serious charge. The father and son were jointly indicted on 10 counts, while Azruddin is facing an additional charge in relation to the importation of a Lamborghini vehicle into Guyana.
In fact, the businessman-turned-politician is also facing tax evasion charges in the local courts over the luxury vehicle. (G8)