Former Venezuelan President Juan Guaido called the United States Venezuela's "natural ally" and said Maduro's arrest opens "the gates to a formal alliance," praising President Donald Trump's leadership.

Guaido made the remarks during a SiriusXM interview with host David Webb following Maduro's arrest on a long-standing 2020 federal indictment in New York for narco-trafficking and corruption-related crimes.

"For us Venezuelans, it is justice," Guaido said during a SiriusXM interview with host David Webb.

"For Venezuelans, in this moment, it's an opportunity."

Guaido served as Venezuela's interim president from 2019 through 2023, after the opposition and international observers rejected Maduro's reelection as fraudulent. 

He never controlled the military or state institutions inside Venezuela, which remained loyal to Maduro.

He now lives in the U.S. and leads the Democracy Island Lab, continuing international advocacy for democratic transitions in Venezuela and across Latin America.

Guaido said Maduro's arrest represents accountability for crimes that destabilized not only Venezuela but the entire hemisphere.

"This is not about regime change; this is about justice," he said.

He said the humanitarian crisis triggered by Maduro forced a quarter of the population to flee the country.

"There are 8 million Venezuelans, 25% of our population, who have had to flee from our country because of that dictator," Guaido said.

Webb compared the arrest to the U.S. capture of Manuel Noriega, noting Maduro had been indicted years earlier as a narco-dictator before being brought into custody.

Guaido described Maduro as "the leader of the cartel in Venezuela" whose criminal network affected neighboring countries and the United States.

"Maduro is the leader of the cartel in Venezuela that affects all the country: Colombia, Brazil, Chile, and also the U.S.," he said.

Inside Venezuela, Guaido warned the power structure remains fragile and dangerous.

"We have a complicated situation," he said. "Delcy Rodriguez is the second in charge of the Cartel of the Suns."

He said the regime's elite security apparatus collapsed quickly once action was taken.

"They took three hours, David, to take Maduro," Guaido said. "They're weak. They're alone."

Guaido said Trump made clear that regime figures obstructing a democratic transition could face prosecution.

"As President Trump said yesterday, if they don't do the correct thing, they face the same destiny of Nicolas Maduro," he said.

He confirmed ongoing contact with Trump's team dating back to Trump's first term.

"I mean, always in contact with the Trump administration since Trump 45," Guaido said. "This is not new for me."

Guaido praised the operation against Maduro as swift and effective.

"In hours — clean operation, optimum I have to say," he said.

He said Venezuela is now entering a difficult transition that must restore democratic institutions and the rule of law.

"That means a full transition that requires the liberation of all political prisoners," Guaido said.

He said rebuilding Venezuela will require restoring institutions, the economy, and the oil sector.

"We need to recover the institutions back in Venezuela," he said.

Guaido sharply criticized Russia, China, and Iran, accusing them of exploiting Venezuela's resources while abandoning Maduro when he was captured.

"They're not in Venezuela about the arepas recipes," he said. "They're about the assets."

He said Russia's silence following Maduro's arrest exposed Moscow's unreliability.

"It's also a demonstration that Russians is not going to be reliable," Guaido said. "They left Maduro hanging."

That abandonment, he said, reinforces Venezuela's need to realign with Washington.

"Our natural ally is the U.S.," Guaido said. "This open the gates to a formal alliance."

Guaido also said Cuba directly controlled Maduro's inner security apparatus, calling it proof Venezuela lacked sovereignty.

"The inner security circle of Maduro was Cuban," he said. "That is not sovereignty."

He said Cuban operatives were embedded across Venezuela's intelligence, counterintelligence, and oil sectors.

Guaido said Maduro's arrest marks the collapse of a broader authoritarian network operating across Latin America.

"This is the end of impunity of that kind of dictators," he said.

He rejected claims that Maduro should still be recognized as president.

"He's not president," Guaido said. "I mean, he stole an election."

He said Maduro removed the legitimately elected leader.

"He committed a coup d'etat against Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia," Guaido said.

Guaido said opposition to Maduro's arrest is rooted in misinformation and political hostility toward Trump.

"You can like or not the president of the United States of America, but the action of detain a criminal has to be celebrated," he said.

He said the moment offers hope for Venezuelans displaced across the hemisphere.

"In this moment Venezuelans are citizen of the continent," Guaido said.

Guaido said Maduro's arrest could allow millions to return home and rebuild.

"You have to feel happy about Venezuelans that feel this as an opportunity," he said, "as hope for return, for reconstruction."