GUYANA · POLITICS
Dozens of supporters of Guyana’s main opposition party, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), rallied outside the National Assembly, Guyana’s parliament, in Georgetown on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, demanding the release of their leader, Azruddin Mohamed. Mohamed has been held on remand, meaning in custody before trial, at Lusignan Prison since 30 October on a cybercrime charge.
Ronald Bulkan, a former communities minister who is not a WIN member, was reported to have joined the protest and to have called Guyana a “full-fledged dictatorship”. We could not confirm his remarks or his presence from a second independent report, so they are his reported words, not our finding.
The case matters in the United States because Mohamed is under US Treasury sanctions and faces a US extradition request, in a country where ExxonMobil, a US oil company, leads offshore production. He has not been convicted of any offence.
Key Facts
- What Dozens of WIN supporters rallied outside Guyana’s parliament on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, for Azruddin Mohamed’s release.
- Bulkan Former minister Ronald Bulkan is reported to have joined and called the government a “full-fledged dictatorship”.
- Custody Mohamed has been on remand since 30 October over alleged unauthorised sharing of surveillance footage.
- Parliament His 24-year-old sister was reported sworn in as a WIN lawmaker the same morning.
- Next Mohamed is remanded until Tuesday, 24 November 2026.
Supporters of Guyana’s detained opposition leader took their demands to the doors of parliament.
What Happened Outside Parliament
The National Assembly sat at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre in Georgetown’s Liliendaal district on Wednesday. Outside, WIN supporters held placards and chanted for Mohamed’s release from Lusignan Prison, arguing that his detention is politically motivated.
Inside, Mohamed’s 24-year-old sister was reported to have taken her oath as a WIN member of parliament. She fills the seat left by Dr Andre Lewis, a WIN lawmaker who resigned in October.
The Speaker, Manzoor Nadir, welcomed the new member, and Prime Minister Mark Phillips congratulated her on behalf of the government. Mohamed’s own seat on the opposition front bench stayed empty.
Who Is Ronald Bulkan
Bulkan served as Minister of Communities in the previous coalition government and later left the People’s National Congress Reform party, a main member of that coalition, and joined the Forward Guyana Movement, a newer opposition group, in 2025. In the reported remarks he described the current government as a “full-fledged dictatorship”.
We found no government response to that description. Mohamed is held on a court’s remand order, which the courts, not parliament, can change.
Where the Legal Cases Stand
A magistrate remanded Mohamed on Friday, 30 October, with 20-year-old police constable Ryan Greene, under the Cybercrime Act, a law on computer offences, over the alleged unauthorised sharing of surveillance camera footage. Their lawyers dispute the charge.
He remains on remand until Tuesday, 24 November 2026. Separately, the United States has asked Guyana to extradite him, and the US Treasury sanctioned him in June 2024 over alleged tax evasion and bribery in the gold sector.
What It Means for You
US investors in Guyana’s oil and gold sectors should treat the dispute as political risk to watch, not a change to any contract. Travellers should keep clear of protest gatherings in Georgetown.
The court calendar will set the pace of the story, and our report on the bail affidavit dispute lists the next hearings. Earlier reports cover the arrest over the police video and the extradition bail rulings.
What Is Not Known
We have no independent count of the crowd beyond “dozens”, and no second report of Bulkan’s remarks. It is not known whether he will be granted bail before 24 November.
More is on our Guyana hub. Mohamed is presumed innocent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Azruddin Mohamed?
He leads Guyana’s main opposition party, We Invest in Nationhood. The US Treasury sanctioned him in June 2024, and he is presumed innocent in all cases.
Why is he in prison?
A magistrate remanded him on Friday, 30 October 2026, over a charge under the Cybercrime Act about surveillance footage. He has not been convicted.
Who joined WIN’s lawmakers on 11 November?
Azruddin Mohamed’s 24-year-old sister was reported sworn in as a WIN member of parliament, filling a vacancy. The seat was left by Dr Andre Lewis.
Did the protest affect parliament?
The National Assembly held its sitting as planned while supporters demonstrated outside. We found no report of disruption inside.
Sources: Parliament of Guyana, sitting of 11 November 2026 (parliament.gov.gy); Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court, remand order of 30 October 2026; US Department of the Treasury, sanctions press release on Azruddin Mohamed, June 2024; statements by WIN supporters and by Ronald Bulkan as reported on 11–12 November 2026.
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