Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday drew sharp parallels between Guyana’s unfolding situation and Colombia’s dark past, warning that sections of the political opposition, judiciary and media appear to be compromised by money and influence from criminal enterprises connected to U.S indicted businessmen Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed.“We are watching the people who are going to not perform their duties because they are compromised… we are watching them carefully,” Jagdeo said at a PPP’s press conference on Thursday at Freedom House, Georgetown.He accused certain local actors of attempting to cover up the alleged activities of the Mohameds, who are both facing extradition to the United States on serious financial crimes, by using their wealth and influence to manipulate public opinion and key institutions.“That’s story that will never be written by the Stabroek News…because their objective was not to inform the public but to help the Mohameds cover up their surreptitious visit to the Venezuelan Embassy,” Jagdeo said.According to Jagdeo, Nazar presented a letter from the Venezuelan Embassy inviting him to a youth conference scheduled for July 25 2025, as justification for his controversial visit to the embassy. But according to Jagdeo, Nazar’s visit to the embassy actually took place in August, weeks after the event had concluded.“It could not have been for that youth conference. It had to be for something else,” Jagdeo said as he sought to establish a clear link between the Mohameds and actors in Venezuela.He argued that given existing U.S. sanctions and allegations that the Mohameds were involved in moving gold for Venezuelan generals, the visit to embassy was suspicious and warranted serious scrutiny.Jagdeo pointed out that the U.S. extradition request for Nazar and Azruddin was finalised on October 26 — the same day a deadly terrorist incident occurred in Guyana which saw the bombing of a gas station in the city by a Venezuelan national belonging to one of the most notorious gangs in the neighbouring country.The extradition request was signed on October 27; Jagdeo suggested that persons linked to the Mohameds might have been tipped off about the impending request, referencing a social media post by Odessa Primus, General Secretary of Mohamed’s WIN party, on October 28 which hinted at “a big distraction” within 24 hours.The Vice President also criticised the magistrate who granted bail to the father and son last Friday when they were arrested following the extradition request, arguing that the decision appeared to favour convenience over the seriousness of the charges.He noted that the father and son were allowed to post cash bail of $150,000, a move he described as “unprecedented,” and said it sent a troubling message to the world about Guyana’s handling of serious extradition cases.“Bail was set at $150,000 cash, because you didn’t need to get a draft. It was Friday afternoon, and normally it wasn’t the seriousness of the offence that determined bail. “It was a convenience to the Mohameds so they could pay $150,000 in cash. People don’t get bail for that. You can imagine the world looking on at Guyana and saying, ‘What is happening in that country?’”Meanwhile, the Vice President also cited statements made in the U.S. Congress by Representatives Carlos Gimenez and Maria Salazar, who expressed concern about Venezuelan efforts to undermine Guyana’s democracy through “pro-Maduro puppet candidate Azruddin Mohamed.”“This is not random,” Jagdeo asserted. “These statements reflect information available to U.S. intelligence that connects the Mohameds to broader regional networks.”He said Guyana must act swiftly to prevent the infiltration of its institutions by criminally connected individuals. Drawing comparisons to Colombia’s Pablo Escobar era, Jagdeo warned: “They compromised the judiciary, they bought sections of the police, the army, the media, and even the executive. When criminals buy influence across all sectors, the result is kidnappings, bombings, and national instability. We must cut that culture out early.”Jagdeo accused “half of the media” of refusing to challenge the Mohameds’ alleged criminality and said their portrayal of Azruddin’s recent entry into Parliament was “a disgrace.”“They called it a historic day instead of the worst day in our parliamentary history,” he said. “A man facing extradition to the United States, sanctioned by OFAC, now sits in Parliament and the media celebrates it.”The Vice President also accused some APNU members of being “bought” by the Mohameds, claiming that sections of its leadership accepted money and subsequently softened their stance.“APNU’s leadership is compromised. They didn’t resist at the elections because they were paid off. Darren Wade himself said he sought clearance from the leadership to defend the Mohameds. That’s why they have been silent on the legality of the extradition,” Jagdeo charged.He contrasted this silence with the opposition’s aggressive reaction in previous cases involving PPP officials.“When Ashni Singh and Winston Brassington were arrested, they were paraded in chains and APNU celebrated. But with the Mohameds, all they could talk about was the manner of arrest. Why? Because they’ve been bought,” Jagdeo said.The Vice President warned that if Guyana fails to confront these linkages decisively, the country risks institutional collapse:“When people with ill-gotten wealth like Azruddin Mohamed and others believe they can buy out politicians, media houses, and the courts, it marks the beginning of a failed society. We must guard against that with everything we have.”The post Jagdeo warns of deep compromise across sectors linking politicians, media & judiciary to criminal networks appeared first on News Room Guyana.