UNITED States Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot, has firmly rejected claims that she or the United States is attempting to interfere in Guyana’s electoral process, expressing disappointment over what she called a mischaracterisation of her recent comments.

The backlash stemmed from remarks Ambassador Theriot made regarding the implications of a US-sanctioned individual potentially entering Guyana’s Parliament.
She noted that such a development could have consequences for US-Guyana relations, citing similar situations in other countries.

Speaking to reporters, Ambassador Theriot clarified her position, stating, “I was a little upset by that characterisation simply because I was stating facts. I was asked what being OFAC-sanctioned meant in terms of a US government being able to work with an individual, and I simply gave the facts that have occurred in other countries where OFAC-sanctioned individuals were members of government, and how the US had to adjust how we worked with those governments.”

The ambassador was referring to sanctions imposed by the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which restricts financial and diplomatic engagement with designated individuals.

She emphasised that her comments were based on publicly available information from the US Treasury’s website, adding that she had no political motivations or desire to meddle in Guyana’s internal affairs.

“We have absolutely no interest in interfering in your elections,” Theriot asserted. “I was asked a question, and I gave the facts as I understand them, as they are published on our Department of Treasury website. 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 further explained that any support the US offers in the realm of electoral processes, such as technical assistance or election security, comes only when requested by the Guyanese government. “How you run your elections is entirely up to you,” she reiterated.

In 2024, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced that it sanctioned Nazar Mohamed and his son, Azruddin Mohamed, as well as several of their companies.

Azruddin Mohamed has since launched a political party called, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) and he is running as the presidential candidate. His party has been approved by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to contest the elections on September 1.

The sanctions are related to money laundering, drug trafficking and gold smuggling, according to reports seen by international news agency Reuters.