Jagdeo presses Nazar Mohamed on embassy visit, accuses WIN of dodging national security questions
Vice President and PPP/C General Secretary Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday intensified his attack on U.S.-sanctioned businessman Nazar Mohamed, demanding answers over his visit to the Venezuelan Embassy in Georgetown and accusing the Mohamed family’s newly-formed We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party of evading a matter of national security.
At his weekly press conference, Jagdeo charged that Nazar Mohamed has “repeatedly ducked” questions about the embassy trip, even when pressed in a recent Stabroek News interview. “He knows he went there. The entire public wants to know what he was doing there,” Jagdeo declared. “Was he getting information from the Venezuelans to help his campaign? Was he trying to flee Guyana? Or was it a benign purpose? Nobody wants to go to Venezuela now.”
Jagdeo pointed out that Foreign Minister Hugh Todd and the Venezuelan Ambassador have both confirmed that Nazar visited the embassy to apply for visas. “They can’t say yes because the next question is why. They’ve been hiding all week, putting out statements on other things, but avoiding this one. The Ambassador has already confirmed it,” Jagdeo argued.
He went further, claiming there is video evidence of the Mohameds’ embassy visit, while warning that the issue cannot be brushed aside as a “smear campaign,” as Nazar has alleged. “He did not say yes or no; he avoided the question. He framed it as political allegations but gave no confirmation or denial,” Jagdeo stressed.
The Mohameds, along with several of their businesses, were sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department last year for alleged corruption and ties to illicit gold trading. Azruddin Mohamed, who now leads the WIN party’s presidential bid, has also been accused by U.S. lawmakers of having links to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s regime. With the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy before the International Court of Justice, Jagdeo argued that Nazar Mohamed’s unexplained embassy trip raises “deeply troubling” questions for the country.
The Vice President’s remarks come as the PPP/C seeks to blunt WIN’s growing visibility on the campaign trail. Jagdeo dismissed WIN’s attempt to paint itself as a victim of political targeting, instead framing the Mohameds’ actions as a direct risk to Guyana’s security and sovereignty.
Jagdeo also weighed in on the Carter Center’s preliminary observation report, welcoming its finding that the voters list is not bloated but sharply criticising its omissions. He argued that the Carter Center overlooked “the biggest case of voter inducement” when Azruddin Mohamed was filmed handing money to a citizen an incident that prompted GECOM to warn against vote buying. “How could they miss that big one?” Jagdeo asked.
He further rejected the report’s suggestion that the governing party is abusing State resources, insisting that President Irfaan Ali and Prime Minister Mark Phillips remain entitled to official vehicles. By contrast, Jagdeo accused the Carter Center of overlooking APNU+AFC’s use of billions in public funds after its no-confidence defeat in 2018.
Despite his criticisms, Jagdeo said the PPP/C will continue to campaign on its record and promises. “We make no apology for that. We campaign on keeping our promises,” he said, adding that the unanswered questions surrounding the Mohameds underscore why WIN cannot be trusted with leadership.
