Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has accused APNU of hypocrisy, saying the party stayed silent on U.S. claims that sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed is a “pro-Maduro puppet” after storming out of Parliament weeks earlier over a Venezuela motion.
Speaking at his weekly press conference, Jagdeo pointed to what he described as blatant double standards by the opposition.
“APNU didn’t say a word about it,” Jagdeo stated. “On another issue that threatens sovereignty… You remember? They said we’re not doing enough. They walked out of parliament when we had a motion condemning Venezuela, and here you have U.S. Congressmen saying these Mohameds are tied to Maduro [and] they’re not saying a word about it,” Jagdeo lamented.
The VP’s comments referenced an X post made in July 2025 by U.S. Congressman Carlos Gimenez, who warned that Venezuela’s regime is seeking to undermine Guyana’s sovereignty through Mohamed.
“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,” Gimenez wrote on the social media formerly known as Twitter.
The Vice President questioned why APNU, which has repeatedly accused the government of being “soft” in its handling of Venezuela’s aggression, has remained silent on what he described as a direct threat to Guyana’s sovereignty.
The opposition staged a walkout on May 23, 2025, during debate on a solidarity motion condemning Venezuela’s fraudulent May 25 elections aimed at justifying its claim to Guyana’s Essequibo region.
That motion, tabled by Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd, underscored Guyana’s recourse to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and Venezuela’s defiance of international law. But Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton rejected the motion as “weak” and lacking input from the opposition, prompting a heated exchange in the House and an eventual walkout by APNU lawmakers. The opposition also expressed its view that the motion’s resolves are superficial.
Notably, the post made by the U.S. Congressman Carlos Gimenez has its alleged genesis from a lobbying firm hired by the Guyana Government.
According to public filings with the U.S. Department of Justice, the Guyanese Government signed a six-month agreement with Continental Strategy LLC in December 2024. The contract is worth US$50,000 per month and outlines that the firm would provide lobbying and government relations services to Guyana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The aim, according to the filing, is to: (1) increase U.S. trade and investment in Guyana; (2) assist in financial sector reforms; and (3) raise Guyana’s profile in the United States. The firm’s duties include lobbying, preparing and disseminating informational materials, and engaging directly with U.S. policymakers.
On June 23, John Barsa, a partner at Continental Strategy, emailed the Director of Communications for U.S. Congressman Carlos Gimenez, sharing the five draft tweets. In the email, Barsa clarified he was sending the material “on behalf of the Government of Guyana.”
But Jagdeo, at his press conference doubled-down on his government’s denial, saying that it would be “presumption” of the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic to have such sway on U.S. lawmakers.
(This article was updated at 17:40hrs, Friday, August 29, 2025)
