Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall has responded to criticisms over the recent social media publications from two United States Congress persons regarding developments in Guyana, highlighting that these politicians are not “rubberstamps” who publish unverified information that does not align with US policies.
On Monday, US Congressman Carlos Gimenez raised concerns over what he describes as Venezuela’s attempt to influence internal affairs in Guyana, specifically through a controversial figure. In a statement posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Gimenez stated: “In the US 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.”
The remark refers to Azruddin Mohamed, a Guyanese businessman and political aspirant, who has been sanctioned by the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
Then on Tuesday, US Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter): “We remain deeply concerned about efforts to undermine democracy in Guyana. As a strategic ally of the United States, Guyana deserves leaders who respect democratic values. Individuals sanctioned for illicit activities must not be allowed to jeopardize this vital relationship.”
However, some sections of society have sought to downplay the statements from the US politicians, instead focusing the narrative on a firm hired by the Guyana Government for federal engagements and advocacy in America – something which President Dr Irfaan Ali has already addressed.
During his programme “Issues in the News” on Tuesday evening, Nandlall added to the discussion, highlighting that “you can’t hand an American Congressman a piece of paper and say tweet this and he will tweet it. It must be something that is part of their policy, that they are aware of, that they have investigated and that is their position.”
Noting that social media – in particular X (formerly Twitter) – has become an acceptable form in which US politicians disseminate information, Nandlall said “when an American Congressman or woman make a tweet, they don’t parrot a position, they’re not rubberstamps. They express a policy position. They make important disclosures via this media platform.”
Responding directly to persons who are insinuating that the US Congresspersons only made the recent publications because of the lobbyist firm, Nandlall asked “are they suggesting that the US Congress and the US Congressmen and women are a bunch of rubberstamps?”
“That these people have no integrity? That they have no self-respect, that they will just prostitute their position as members of Congress and simply publish something that somebody hands them in their hands?” Nandlall further questioned, noting that he finds this narrative “extremely shocking”.
