US Demands Extradition of Guyana Opposition Leader as Oil Riches Flow
Mainstream media frames the arrest of Azruddin Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed (The Guardian via ABC News), as simple legal action. Left unmentioned is the convenient timing: Mohamed's rise challenged incumbent Irfaan Ali, whose administration has been exceptionally friendly to foreign energy giants like ExxonMobil. One might wonder if the US State Department's sudden interest in a gold
magnate's alleged misdeeds is less about justice and more about ensuring unimpeded access to Guyana's massive offshore oil discoveries, which are projected to yield billions for US corporations annually. Democracy, it seems, is only sacred until it threatens profit margins. Remember when the US championed self-determination, or was that just for countries without lucrative natural resources? This
isn't the first time an opposition figure in a resource-rich nation has faced 'legal' troubles just as US corporate interests solidify. How many times must this play out before we recognize the pattern?