US Ambassador Nicole Theriot provided some clarity on the issue of visa revocation and cancellations, and sanctions by theOffice of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of Treasury.

She explained that the two are vastly different, and an individual is not liable to sanction for merely being friends with an OFAC sanctioned individual or entity.

Ambassador Theriot told reporters that she has “zero information” on the number of Guyanese, who would have had their visas revoked or cancelled.

“Everywhere in the world, we would revoke or cancel a visa if someone violates that visa in some way. That is just a standard practice. I think we do it here, just periodically, if we get that information,” the Ambassador said.

Ambassador Theriot, however, made it clear that there has not been any “wholesale cancellation of visas” in the case of Guyanese. She said when an individual’s visa is revoked or cancelled, the information is treated as confidential by the embassy.

“Typically, visas are confidential, and so, we would only inform the individual who held that visa. But as far as I know there has been no wholesale cancellation or revocation of visas. It is a case-by-case basis based on that individual person’s action,” Ambassador Theriot said.

On Friday, popular local comedienne and political activist Odessa Primus returned to Guyana from the US after her US visa was cancelled with application withdrawn.

A U.S. visa cancellation, combined with an application withdrawn refers to the applicant being given the option of withdrawing their entry request to the United States instead of allowing the revocation of the visa upon denial of entry.

It is suspected that Primus’ visa cancellation may be linked to her ties with Azruddin Mohamed, who was sanctioned by OFAC in 2024 along with his father, their companies and Government Permanent Secretary, Mae Thomas.

But the US Ambassador said visa cancellation and revocation, which is dealt with by the US Department of State is different from OFAC sanctions, which fall under the US Department of Treasury.

It was explained that an individual is not liable to sanctions for merely being friends with an OFAC sanctioned individual or entity. The individual, it was explained, must be in business with the sanctioned individual to be affected.

“So, again, no. Those two things are not related. If you associated yourself with an OFAC sanctioned individual, if you did so in the ways that are laid out in the OFAC sanction, so, just knowing them, being friends with them, that’s very, very different than doing business with them. So, what you would be liable to is treasury sanctions, OFAC sanctions. Visas are a very different because Department of State handles visas, Department of Treasury handles OFAC sanctions, so they are very different things. So, if you do business with them, or have invested in one of their businesses that is sanctioned, then you could be liable to treasury sanctions,” the US Ambassador explained.

Before having her visa cancelled, and sent back to Guyana, Primus said upon arrival in New York at the JFK Airport, she was questioned by US agents about the Mohameds and a number of Government officials and other persons, including political activists.

In handing down the sanctions in 2024, the US Department of Treasury explained that US persons and companies are prohibited from doing any transactions with the Mohameds or their companies and Mae Thomas.

Additionally, it said financial institutions and other persons that engage in certain transactions or activities with the sanctioned entities and individuals may expose themselves to sanctions or be subject to an enforcement action.

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