President denies hiring US lobbyist to target Azruddin Mohamed

Last Updated on Tuesday, 1 July 2025, 18:55 by Writer

President Irfaan Ali on Tuesday denied that government has hired a United States (U.S.) lobbying firm to target his political opponent, Azruddin Mohamed, but he shortly afterwards resorted to a Facebook Live video, saying that the U.S.-sanctioned businessman posed a national security risk.

“The government has hired no lobbying firm to target anyone so the premise of your question is wrong,” he said in response to a News Source reporter’s question, accusing her of coming with “your own make-up stories for your own political narrative that your news agency is geared towards.”

Asked what was the rationale for requesting lobbying firm, Continental Strategy LLC, to advocate concerning Mr Mohamed and Venezuela, he referred to the border controversy, including a Venezuelan military vessel’s incursion into Guyana’s exclusive economic zone. He said Guyana had a duty to keep its allies informed at the diplomatic level.

According to Continental Strategy’s filing with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) database, that firm had written to Republican Carlos A. Giménez’s Communications Department sending several draft X, formerly Twitter, posts. With a slight amendment, Congressman Giménez on Monday tweeted, “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,” he said.

Mr Mohamed has denied any connection to Mr Maduro and has stated his commitment to Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Pressed on the nature of the relationship between the Cuban-born congressman’s tweet and Mr Mohamed, the Guyanese leader conceded that “I saw the tweet too and the Congressman was very clear on what is the correlation”. The Guyana government paid Continental Strategy US$50,000 per month dating back to December 2024.

Earlier on Tuesday, Republican Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar tweeted on her personal X account, “We remain deeply concerned about efforts to undermine democracy in Guyana. As a strategic ally of the United States, Guyana deserves leaders who respect democratic values. Individuals sanctioned for illicit activities must not be allowed to jeopardize this vital relationship.”

Further questioned on how the message includes Mr Mohamed, as seen in documents filed with the U.S., the President instead deflected. “I don’t know how you’re linking this to Azruddin Mohamed.” Told by Demerara Waves Online News that that is what is in the document, Dr Ali relied on tax evasion accusations against Mr Mohamed and U.S. government the sanctions for breaching “major international laws and treaties.” “This is no saint that we’re talking about. This is a man that is dangerous to our society,” he stated.

Dr Ali provided no specific information to the reporters shortly after he commissioned the newly-built St George’s School of Sciences, but vehemently denied that his administration was using State resources to campaign for the September 1 general and regional elections. “The People’s Progressive Party does not need State resource to run our campaign. We are not using any State resources to run our campaign. Our campaign is run by the People’s Progressive Party with our resources supported by the humble people of Guyana and we’re strong, we’re ready and we’ll defeat any force that is ahead of us,” he said on exiting his vehicle, having entered it to depart.

Though he had earlier said that he did not know why the reporter was linking Mr Mohamed to the documents that Continental Strategy filed with FARA, the President said Mr Mohamed was a security threat to Guyana’s financial and natural resources systems and diplomacy which is linked to the country’s defence of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. “This does not require rocket science. These are the facts. Our national security and the greatest threat is that of Venezuela. Is Azruddin Mohamed a threat to the defence of this border against Venezuela? Yes, because our key ally has identified him to the extent that he is sanctioned by them,” he said.