The United States has firmly denied accusations that it is attempting to influence the outcome of Guyana’s upcoming general and regional elections, scheduled for September 1. The clarification comes amid ongoing controversy surrounding the candidacy of billionaire businessman Azruddin Mohamed, leader of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party.
Mohamed is one of four presidential contenders, alongside incumbent President Irfaan Ali of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Aubrey Norton of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), and Nigel Hughes of the Alliance for Change (AFC). In June 2024, Mohamed was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for allegedly evading over US$50 million in taxes owed to the Guyanese government.
In response to criticisms that Washington is targeting Mohamed to influence the elections, U.S. Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot told reporters that the U.S. has “absolutely no interest in interfering” in the electoral process.
“I have no interest or intention of interfering in the government of Guyana’s elections. This is a sovereign country. You run your elections as you see fit,” Theriot said. “I was asked the question, I gave the facts, as I understand them as they are published on our Department of Treasury website.”
She added that her previous comments regarding the implications of electing an OFAC-sanctioned individual were factual, not political. “When you see an OFAC-sanctioned individual become an official within a government, it sends concerns through the private sector in the United States. They sometimes look to de-risk or to even cut ties with the country.”
Mohamed, for his part, has dismissed the sanctions as politically motivated and reiterated that his candidacy reflects the will of the Guyanese people.
Since entering politics, several commercial banks in Guyana have closed the accounts of individuals associated with Mohamed’s WIN party. President Ali has acknowledged the issue, stating recently that “more young people will receive letters of closures of their accounts from other banks,” but denied any government involvement.
Ambassador Theriot also distanced the U.S. from the actions taken by local banks. “The decision by the banks here was entirely independent. We were not consulted, we were not asked. The OFAC sanctions are for the U.S. They pertain solely to what happens in the United States and business being done in the United States.”
She noted that while local banks may have communicated with their U.S. correspondent institutions, “we have no opinion on the matter. Banks here make their own decisions.”
The U.S. Embassy confirmed that Washington has been assisting Guyana with election preparations at the request of the government, but stressed that this support does not equate to interference.
