By Mr Maduro Stabroek News
On June 30th , US Republican Congressman Carlos A. Gimenez who represents Florida’s 28th congressional district issued a tweet which stated “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”.
Guyana certainly needs the US Congress to be fully seized of the malevolent behaviour of Venezuela and its discredited leader towards Guyana. That Mr Gimenez, born in Cuba, would make such a bold assertion in the name of the US Congress would suggest that the lobbying firm hired by the Government of Guyana was making headway in making more American legislators aware of the dire threat posed by Mr Maduro to this country.
However, documents that were required to be lodged under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) cast a different light on what might have motivated the Gimenez tweet.
On March 12th this year, Stabroek News reported that US lobbyist Continental Strategy LLC had been hired by the Guyana Government for an initial period of six months at US$50,000 per month. The stated duties of the lobbying firm in the contract signed on 13 December 2024 between Continental Strategy LLC and the Government of Guyana, as per the FARA filing, are: “(1) increase US trade and investment; (2) help the Government address financial sector improvements and other necessary steps; and (3) enhance Guyana’s profile in the United States”.
FARA which was enacted in 1938 requires certain agents of foreign principals who are engaged in political activities or other activities specified under the statute to make periodic public disclosure of their relationship with the foreign principal, as well as activities, receipts and disbursements in support of those activities. It was under this requirement that it was learnt that on June 25th Continental Strategy had dispatched suggested tweets to Mr Gimenez for him to disseminate. The major thrust of these tweets appeared to, however, focus attention on presidential candidate Azruddin Mohamed without disclosing the foundation for such.
The suggested tweets read as follows:
US-sanctioned gold mogul Azruddin Mohamed is running for president in Guyana. This isn’t just a local scandal—it’s a warning. The Western Hemisphere must remain a stronghold for democracy, not a playground for authoritarian influence;
A sanctioned Maduro ally running for president in Guyana? This isn’t just politics—it’s a red flag. The Western Hemisphere must not become a safe haven for authoritarian expansion;
Venezuela’s attempt to encroach into Guyana through pro-Maduro puppet Azruddin Mohamed’s presidential run is alarming. The Western Hemis-phere must remain a stronghold of freedom — not a breeding ground for communist dictatorships;
Maduro’s sanctioned puppet Azruddin Mohamed running for president in Guyana is Venezuela’s latest attempt to creep into a sovereign democracy. The Western Hemisphere must reject authoritarian influence. #Guyana #Venezuela #FreedomFirst;
U.S.-sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed, seen as sympathetic to Maduro-style politics, is running for president in Guyana. This is more than a local issue—it’s a warning for democracy in the Americas.
Mr Gimenez’s tweet, five days later, was a composite of several of the suggested tweets.
For the lobbyist to declare that Mr Mohamed is an agent of Mr Maduro is an exceedingly serious charge. Mr Mohamed has since vehemently rejected this claim. “Let me be absolutely clear: I reject Venezuela’s claim to the Essequibo. My father is Essequibo-born. I would never betray the soil my family is rooted in. I stand firmly for Guyana’s sovereignty; I always have and always will”, he said.
On what basis did Continental Strategy arrive at such a dire conclusion on Mr Mohamed? It is in the government’s interest to find this out to determine whether there is any incipient threat from within to this country’s position on the border controversy. Since the Government of Guyana was the client of Continental Strategy it is well placed to find out from the lobbyist and it must do this. Otherwise, the government here will face the not unlikely assumption that since it was at deep odds with this US-sanctioned businessman, particularly since his widespread outreaches to communities, that it inspired the issuing of the tweets to legislators for them to disseminate. The irony of this assumption is that the dissemination of the tweet was meant to influence the Guyana electorate and not the US Congress.
The President made heavy weather in denying that the Government of Guyana had anything to do with the tweet.
In an exchange with a reporter from News Source that did him no credit, President Ali said: The government has hired no lobbying firm to target anyone, so the premise of your question is wrong. You need to go and come again and come with facts. Don’t come with your makeup stories.” He further accused the journalist’s news agency of having a political bent.
President Ali acknowledged that the engagement with the firm was related to the ongoing border controversy with Venezuela. “What was the rationale? You know we have a threat. We have a threat with Venezuela. You know that Venezuela has threatened the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Guyana. You’re aware of this. You’re aware that we have serious danger with Venezuela. You’re aware that Venezuela brought their coastal, their navy vessel into our waters. So we have the capability that is necessary with our allies to keep our allies informed and to work with us in ensuring that at a diplomatic level, our message and at a diplomatic level, our communication is intact.”
The President would later add: “Azruddin Mohammed has been accused by the US government, has been sanctioned by the US government. Azruddin Mohammed has defrauded Guyana in the documents that the U.S. government has of 50 million U.S. dollars in the last couple years alone. This is no saint we are talking about. This is a man that is dangerous to our society… He’s sanctioned by the United States. He’s sanctioned by OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control). When you are sanctioned by OFAC, you are in breach of major international laws and treaty. That is who Azruddin Mohamed is. Let us not reshape that.”
President Ali was however unable to explain how the lobbying firm linked Mr Mohamed to Venezuela’s designs on Guyana or to show some type of connection between Mr Mohamed and President Maduro. It is true that Mr Mohamed’s well-known involvement in the gold trade and the related allegations against him could have some tie in with historical reports of Venezuelan gold commingling with Guyana’s for the purposes of export. This would indeed be a serious problem and one that should be exposed. Except that President Ali’s government has failed to comprehensively crack down on illicit gold trading and had for some period maintained close ties to Mr Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed which enabled Mr Ali to use an armoured vehicle belonging to the Mohameds in the runup to the 2020 general elections. Relations between the Mohameds and the President apparently ruptured in recent years.
No lobbying firm hired by the Guyana Govern-ment on behalf of the people should be allowed to run amok. The people have a right to know what informed Continental Strategy’s decision to target Mr Mohamed so that they could be better able to understand the nature of the threat emanating from Caracas. Such revelations could also help to clear the government from the perception that it instructed Continental Strategy for purely political purposes. Who in the Guyana Government was responsible for interfacing with Continental Strategy? That person has many questions to answer and this should be the task of President Ali.