Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo today clarified that it was Nazar “Shell” Mohamed who visited the Venezuelan Embassy in Georgetown for a visa.
This disclosure follows that of Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hugh Todd, who earlier this week said the government was informed that the “Mohameds” have been making frequent visits to the Embassy.
Nazar and his son, Azruddin Mohamed, the presidential candidate for We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), were last year sanctioned by the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
Minister Todd revealed that he had summoned the Venezuelan Ambassador to Guyana, H.E. Carlos Amador Pérez Silva, who confirmed that the “Mohameds” had applied for visas to visit Caracas – Venezuela’s capital. Following this disclosure, Azruddin issued a statement denying that he had visited the Embassy and challenged the government to provide evidence.
However, at his press conference at Freedom House today, Jagdeo clarified that it was Nazar who visited the Embassy.
The Vice President said he does not believe that Azruddin and other members of the Mohamed family were unaware of Nazar’s visit to the embassy and the purpose of the visit. “They all know that he did visit the Embassy, and they know the purpose of the visit,” he said.
Jagdeo challenged the Mohameds to make a statement denying that Nazar visited the embassy and did not apply for a visa. He said, “They can do that now, prove me a liar now… and I’m willing to stake my entire political career on the fact that he did go to the Venezuelan Embassy. I’m willing to stake my entire political career.”
He noted that when Minister Todd summoned the Venezuelan Ambassador, it was out of concern in light of statements by United States policymakers linking Azruddin Mohamed to Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro regime.
“The Venezuelan Ambassador confirmed that they went there. Well, Nazar Mohamed went there and that he’s seeking a visa,” Jagdeo stated. He added that while the Ambassador disclosed that Nazar had applied for a visa, he did not know the full extent of the visit or the engagement.
The Vice President’s challenge to the Mohameds is to answer whether Nazar visited the embassy and, if so, to state the purpose of the visit.
Further, Jagdeo questioned the timing of Nazar applying for a visa, given that the General and Regional Elections are just weeks away. He added, “If that’s the real reason for a visa to Venezuela – and we all know that Venezuela does not allow the extradition of people who get citizenship there to the United States of America.”
