Dear Editor,
On 11th June, 2024, the US Homeland Security Investigations joined the US Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to announce sanctions against Nazar Mohamed, his son, Azruddin Mohamed, Mohamed’s Enterprise, Hadi’s World, and Team Mohamed’s racing team for what was described as “their roles in public corruption in Guyana.”
According to an announcement from the US Department of State, “Mohamed’s Enterprise, between 2019 and 2023, omitted more than ten thousand kilograms (kg) of gold from import and export declarations and avoided paying more than (US)$50 million in duty taxes to the Government of Guyana. To perpetuate and conceal this scheme, Mohamed’s Enterprise engaged in extensive bribery of (Guyana) Government officials, and this activity served to enrich the corrupt actors involved, undermine Guyanese institutions, and deprive the people of Guyana of important revenues.”
Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian E. Nelson, said that “today’s action underscores our commitment to holding accountable those who seek to exploit Guyana’s underdeveloped gold sector for personal gain.” Treasury, he said, “in close coordination with our partners in US law enforcement, will continue to take action to safeguard the US financial system from abuse by corrupt actors.”
Long ago, Forbes Burnham, for very different reasons, under very different circumstances, when I was a member of his Cabinet, poked his finger into the eyes of Uncle Sam and Mr. Henry Kissinger, then Secretary of State of the US Government, and made him and the people of Guyana pay the price by ensuring the economic collapse of Mr Burnham’s Government, when all that Mr Burnham had done was to seek to defy the imposition of American and Soviet imperialism as a non-aligned country. We learnt a bitter lesson then, and we should be much wiser now.
Mr Azruddin Mohamed is now contesting in our General and Regional Elections to be the future President of Guyana as the leader of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party. Accosted by our media at the Global Biodiversity Summit and reported by Denis Chabrol on Demerara Waves, the United States Ambassador, Nicole Theriot, on 23rd July, 2025, in answering a pointed question put by Chabrol about Mr Mohamed being the Presidential Candidate and possibly being elected a parliamentarian, had every right to state her Government’s position:
“We’re in such a beautiful position. All these US companies want to come to Guyana, and Guyana is welcoming, and I don’t want, if he were to become a member of the Government, that to change, so that’s a real concern.” The Ambassador went on to explain that if Mr Mohamed were to be elected, having been sanctioned by OFAC, it could “send jitters down the US private sector and affect Guyana’s investment climate such as had happened in Afghanistan.”
According to Mr Chabrol, the US Ambassador went on to assert that if Mr Mohamed is elected to the National Assembly, it’s worrying for the US. “It’s problematic in multiple ways,” she said, “because of the way we at the US Government interact with the Government. We have to be very careful, and if that person is involved”.
Homeland Security Investigations New York Special Agent in Charge, Ivan J. Arvelo, emphasised that “these sanctions are a significant first step in bringing the Mohameds’ alleged corrupt practices to bear and holding them accountable for their years-long abuse of power,” and Mr Mohamed, at his press conference introducing his manifesto on Thursday (24th July), is reported to be confident that the OFAC sanctions against him will be lifted. He must be joking.
I have seen letters in today’s Stabroek News (25th July, 2025) attacking the US Ambassador, from Mr. Lancelot Hyman and GHK Lall, both accusing the American Ambassador of “seeking to meddle in our internal affairs” and giving “short thrift to the will of the Guyanese people.” They clearly do not live in the real world.
Hyman and Lall conveniently forget that, many years ago, it was the intervention of former US President Jimmy Carter in our internal affairs that forced then-President Desmond Hoyte to change our electoral system, causing the results of the election to be publicly displayed at every polling place to safeguard against the rigging of our elections. It was the publication of exactly these Statements of Poll that exposed the minions of the Granger-led Government who attempted to rig the last elections and who are now before the courts.
We believe that we are an independent country, and we are. We are not, however, independent of the world in which we live, and we live in that part of the world that is, so to speak, in the backyard of the United States of America. We may love or hate America and Americans, but we cannot ignore the US and the US Government, or we do so at our peril as a people and a country.
It’s now all over the media that several of the candidates declared on the WIN list have had their accounts closed by Demerara Bank. Other banks are likely to follow, and it should be of no surprise to anyone. No bank in Guyana can function if cut off by its corresponding US bank, and that is exactly what will happen to any bank that does business with a sanctioned individual and those directly engaged with such an individual.
Our economic well-being and development are wholly dependent on our good relationship with the US. The discovery and exploitation of our oil and gas, from which we benefit hugely, albeit we should benefit much more, results from an American company called ExxonMobil, along with a host of other US companies being imbedded in the development of our country. Without them our oil would remain under the ocean.
Mr Maduro’s regime has not crossed the border to take possession of the Essequibo, for which they claim to have established a governor to administer, because of the fact that Guyana enjoys what the US Ambassador enthusiastically described as a “beautiful relationship” with the US Government.
It has become obvious to me that those who, either out of ignorance or greed or both, are attracted to the massive wealth that Mr Mohamed is said to own and dispense freely and have, therefore, become his acolytes, know not what they do, nor what will result from what they do, so let me help them. They need only to access Google to find out some of the direct consequences of engaging with a person specifically sanctioned by the US Government.
According to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement announcement issued on 12th June, 2024, “financial institutions and other persons that engage in certain transactions or activities with the sanctioned entities and individuals may expose themselves to sanctions or be subject to an enforcement action. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.”
Being sanctioned by the US Government carries severe consequences. These sanctions can involve blocking assets, prohibiting transactions with designated individuals and entities, and imposing significant civil and criminal penalties for violations. And, yes, when you engage with Mr. Mohamed, you are exposed to exactly those risks.
US sanctions can also significantly impact the economies of targeted countries, and if, for instance, by some miracle of chance, Mr Mohamed were to become the president of Guyana, then, as the American Ambassador’s remarks have subtly warned, Guyana would become a targeted country with all the consequences attached to a sanctioned individual.
Trade, investments, and economic growth tied to the US would come to a grinding halt. Access to international financial systems, access to secure loans, and participation in global markets would be severely restricted. The reputation and credibility of the country and the ability to conduct business and attract investment would be severely damaged. ExxonMobil would be forced to pack up and go home, our banks would close down, our diplomatic relations with the United States would freeze, and Mr. Maduro would happily take possession of the Essequibo without a problem.
Let me repeat, those who tie the bundle with Azruddin Mohamed know not what they do, nor what will result from what they do.
Yours sincerely,
Kit Nascimento
