A recently announced US clampdown on a very popular Guyanese family has left a cloud of sadness lingering over the atmosphere of the Guyanese populace. The sanctioning of Azzrudin and Nazar Mohamed by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control has saturated both local and international news over the last few days. While a handful of rivals and enemies may have found happiness in this development, thousands of local residents who view the Mohameds, especially the young Azzrudin, as a “God send” are left in a state of depression over the announcement.
While the Mohameds have reportedly been practicing charity long before, around 2019, they launched a Facebook Page, Team Mohameds, on which they showcased regular outreaches mostly in the form of financial and material aid to struggling Guyanese. For example, a man without formal education is having a hard time getting employment and providing for his family; Mohamed steps in and purchases a grass cutting machine and gives it to him freely with no strings attached. The man is now able to earn 3 or 4 times the minimum wage and remains eternally grateful to Azzrudin Mohamed.
The younger Mohamed has also posted hundreds of stories of women’s empowerment in the form of financing small businesses for unemployed women. Most of these turned out to be success stories. But he doesn’t stop there. Mohamed has also built scores of very comfortable homes for Guyanese citizens. Azzrudin Mohamed doesn’t discriminate when it comes to building million-dollar homes for Guyanese citizens. He has put a roof over the heads of Guyanese of all religions, races, and genders. This way, the Mohameds, especially the younger Azzrudin, has captured the hearts of a large fraction of the Guyanese populace. He is seen as a local celebrity, a heaven sent.
But the Mohameds are not without their enemies. A handful of people are somewhat rejoicing over this perceived “downfall.” In Guyana, the recently friend-turned-arch-enemy of the Mohameds, the Guyanese Critic, has made several sarcastic posts ridiculing the Mohameds and praising what happened, saying there is more to come. There are also rumors coming from some sections of the Guyanese population that the Mohameds were involved in crime and human rights abuses, and that the widely publicized charitable activities were nothing more than a smokescreen for what’s happening in the background.
The Mohameds family of Georgetown has long been a subject of US investigation and were accused of money laundering and tax evasion, among others, by US agencies. However, this recent clampdown by the United States on the Mohameds have left thousands of persons dejected. They see the Mohameds as a source of good, a source of empowerment and an emblem of hope. Many in Guyana have questioned the true motives of the United States’ agencies for targeting the Mohameds at this point in time.
