OPINION: Jagdeo and Mohamed on Venezuela – who to believe?

Last Updated on Thursday, 14 August 2025, 19:20 by Writer

By GHK Lall

First, the sequence.

VP Jagdeo at Mahaica, East Coast Demerara: “Now there’s evidence of him actually going to the Venezuelan Embassy” (“Azruddin Mohamed denies frequenting Venezuelan Embassy, accuses PPP of risking Guyana’s sovereignty” – Demerara Waves, August 13, 2025 -07:59hrs).

Azruddin Mohamed from WIN HQ somewhere in Guyana: “Produce the Evidence! I Have Never Visited the Venezuelan Embassy! I, Azruddin Mohamed, categorically reject and denounce the baseless, malicious, and politically motivated lies being peddled against me. I never visited the Venezuelan embassy, nor have I applied for a visa to travel to Venezuela.” (Ibid).

VP Jagdeo at Alexander Village, East Bank Demerara: “Watch what will happen over the next few days because I hope he will deny that, too, because there is video evidence of the Mohameds going into the Venezuelan Embassy,” Mr Jagdeo told a People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) campaign meeting in Alexander Village.” (“Hard evidence that the Mohameds went to the Venezuelan embassy -possibly seeking refuge in Caracas” -Demerara Waves, August 13, 2025 -19:26hrs).

My recital, interpretation, and comments.

I have never met or spoken either to Vice President Jagdeo or the WIN leader, Mohamed. Never wrote a word on the latter, before his entry in Guyana’s September 1 elections. Whereas Dr. Jagdeo has always been the former president, or vice president, or the Big Man, Mr. Mohamed has been variously described by me as ‘de l’il bhai, the youngster, or the newcomer. Now that he is a contestant, he is the WIN leader. Frankly, Dr. Jagdeo has given extremely little over the years for Guyanese to trust him. I don’t trust most things he says. Sorry, sir. Just as frankly, Mr. Mohamed is a sanctioned individual, whose past is suspected to be checkered, polka dotted, striped, plaid, and plastered in different ways. If I can’t be frank, then I am swank, in the tank, nothing. This is my crossroad. Which one of the two to believe relative to this Venezuelan Embassy development? A judgment call must be made, the scales weighed and stated. Because Dr. Jagdeo has distorted so much for so long on so many matters of tremendous importance and urgency for Guyanese, he doesn’t come well recommended. And by his own hand. He ranks almost all the way to the bottom in the trust index. To put more colloquially, Dr. Jagdeo will dive deeply and make his home where snakes and scorpions rapidly retreat from in utter dread.

For his part, Mr. Mohamed has his own body of evidence, as alleged, against him, and they are whipping, discrediting, damning. But what he has put out so far in his public political life has something going for it. Plain, no frills. Straight, no spin. Open, not sketchy. Fair not fearsome. This is how the WIN leader compares to the PPP leader. Mohamed says a little, but his words say much. Jagdeo says plenty, but says not much of anything. Even when Dr. Jagdeo says something that starts out giving the appearance of a straight line, the curves come up, and they are dangerous.

With those as contexts, Dr. Jagdeo initially spoke “of him going into…”. He was talking in the singular, of one man, in Mahaica in that first foray. Later, at Alexander Village, the PPP leader found it fit to speak of “video evidence of the Mohameds going into the Venezuelan Embassy.” From singular to plural, one to two (maybe more Mohameds). It is Bharrat Jagdeo at his wiliest, vintage best. A master manipulator of words and situations.

Azruddin Mohamed was unambiguous and unequivocal: Venezuelan Embassy? Never! Never crossed that portal. It is now back to the beginning and decision time. Who to believe? Who to trust? To date in his public life, Mr. Mohamed has not provided any body of evidence that indicates an intent or practice to mislead citizens. For emphasis, this statement pertains to his public political existence, as in public postures and public pronouncements: he has not misled Guyanese. Yet. Will he? I don’t know, and time will provide the best witness whether he does, or doesn’t. Regarding Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, it is my loss, to my regret, to my unending disappointment that he has turned to be who he is and how he is. Venezuela was his first salvo. Venezuela may be his last straw clutched at, only for it to be like quicksilver. That is, elusive to the grasp. With the permission of the Hon. Joseph Hamilton, I paraphrase his latest luscious contribution to Guyanese politics: Jagdeo backed himself into a box. This box business to follow soon.