Despite saying he has absolutely no chance of winning general elections on Sept. 1, Guyana’s government is accessing abundant resources to crush a small, new upstart political party headed by a former close family friend.

Azarrudin Mohamed is the presidential candidate of the “We Invest in Nationhood” (WIN) party, contesting the elections. While campaigning around the country in recent weeks, Mohamed has been attracting large, enthusiastic crowds in areas that are known political strongholds of both the governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and the main opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) coalition.

Sanctioned by the US Treasury Department last year along with his father Nazar Mohamed and a senior civil servant for allegedly smuggling 10,000 kilograms of gold to the US and avoiding US$50 million in taxes to Guyana, Mohamed has vowed to help unseat the party his family had once financed and had wholeheartedly supported in many ways.

Uncomfortable with his growing popularity and affection shown by voters, especially in PPP strongholds, President Irfaan Ali on Tuesday tried to portray him as a security threat to the country because of alleged links to neighboring Venezuela, with which it has a simmering border row.

In a special address to the nation, Ali said that Mohamed was a security threat to the local financial and mining sector and made a clear link to him and Venezuela, charges that Mohamed later denied in a statement. “This does not require rocket science. These are the facts. Our national security and the greatest threat is that of Venezuela. Is Azruddin Mohamed a threat to the defense of this border against Venezuela? Yes, because our key ally has identified him to the extent that he is sanctioned by them,” he said, referring to the US sanctions of last year.

Hours before his address, a US lobbying firm, retained by the government at a monthly fee of $50,000, also got involved in the attack on Mohamed after Continental Strategy LLC had drafted tweets attacking Mohamed and linking him to Venezuela and the Maduro administration. This is around the same time that Republican U.S. Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez had stated on social media that Mohamed was being used as a puppet candidate by Venezuela in the elections. Ali said the government had nothing to do with the actions of the lobbying firm and the statement by the U.S. Rep..

“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, whom OFAC sanctions! The Western Hemisphere must remain a stronghold of freedom, not a breeding ground for communist dictatorships,” he said on X, formerly Twitter. His tweet strongly resembled the one drafted by Continental Strategy and appeared to signal a coordinated attack on Mohamed that included remarks and accusations by President Ali.

July 14 is the nomination day for parties to submit their list of candidates and party symbols, among other requirements.