"It is public knowledge that several members of the military have been arrested after smuggling uranium from Venezuela, and we believe Iran is one of the main destinations," would-be Venezuelan leader Juan Guaido, told Israel Hayom over the weekend in an exclusive interview.

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Guaido discussed his fears of being arrested by the regime of President Nicolas Maduro, sounded the alarm over Iran's infiltration of the hit country, and also delivered a message to Jerusalem.

It stands to reason that the conversation with the 37-year-old Guaido occurred under the watchful eye of a local intelligence agency, now a routine part of life for the man who emerged to spearhead the fight against the Maduro regime and the United Socialist Party, yet another failed model of the populistic socialism that has gripped the country since 1999.

Some two years ago, after being chosen as the President of the National Assembly of Venezuela, Guaido rose to international prominence as the great new hope for his country. The people believed he possessed the key to changing the regime, which indeed brutalizes those oppose it with arrests, torture, and even executions.

The masses answered his calls and took to the streets, armed with the expectation and hope that the turning point was just around the corner. Even the international community recognized Guaido as the country's interim president, including the European Union, United States, and Israel.

Now, the picture is completely different. The excitement has waned with time, international support has become ephemeral – even the EU stopped recognizing him as interim president – with only one thing remaining constant: Maduro and Chavezism.

"The Maduro regime has become a crime syndicate, while importing oil from Iran. At present, a preliminary investigation exists into uranium stockpiles in Venezuela and the countries to which this material could be sent," Guaido reveals from his residence in the capital, Caracas. "There is a large reservoir of uranium in Venezuela that is smuggled from the country somehow, through illegal channels."

The South American country has maintained close relations with Iran for years now, amid persisting rumors of cooperation with neighboring countries in the field of nuclear energy.

Describing the early stages of Iran's foothold in Venezuela, Guaido says, "The Maduro dictatorship allowed Iran to enter. It started when [former President Hugo] Chavez began welcoming companies under sanctions by the US and other countries."

In January 2019, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recognized Guaido as the country's official leader, which remains Israel's official position to this day.

Chavez severed relations between Israel and Venezuela in 2009 in the wake of the IDF's Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip.

Today, Guaido is grateful and has a message for Jerusalem: "The government of Israel provides important diplomatic support in the war against the dictatorship," he said.

Opposition members in Venezuela are in constant danger. Their lives are at the mercy of the "dictator," as Guaido refers to Maduro. The United Nations has accused his regime of crimes against humanity. Guaido, for his part, is making efforts to win back international support.

He recently discussed with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken possible paths to "democracy and holding free elections," but it still isn't clear what position the Biden administration will take in terms of the humanitarian problem in Venezuela.

Asked about the looming threat of arrest hanging over his head, Guaido said he was aware of the peril but continues to be sure of his path and principles.

"The dictatorship's threats exist, and it operates this way because the people don't support it and it doesn't have much support in the international community," he explained.

"Venezuela's only alternative is free elections and allowing a process for a legitimate government," Guaido concludes.

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A few months ago, Guaidó appointed former chief rabbi of Venezuela Pynchas Brener to act as a presidential envoy to Israel. Brener told Israel Hayom that a formal announcement from Guaidó about renewed diplomatic relations is expected within a few days.

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In preparation for the diplomatic event, the opposition government in Venezuela has opened an online "virtual embassy" in Israel.

Brener has lived in the US for years. Recently, after having been appointed ambassador, he has visited Israel a few times, but will relocate only when Jerusalem recognizes his appointment.

Brener said that thus far, Israel has refrained from formalizing the appointment because Israel and Venezuela have not had relations since former Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez severed them.

"Washington recognizes the Venezuelan ambassador to the US appointed by Guaidó, why shouldn't Israel do the same?" asked Brener, who is working to establish what he calls "Venezuelan presence in Israel."

"The situation in Venezuela is a catastrophe. 85% of the population opposes the socialist regime. I lived in Venezuela for 44 years. It was a country that took in refugees from Europe, from South America. Venezuela was a paradise, even if there was a certain level of corruption," Brener tells Israel Hayom.

"Today, there is almost nothing but corruption and people are fleeing. The poverty is terrible. Governments like Maduro's need a poor population, which will think about how to find food for their children rather than about how to organize a revolution. The average monthly salary is $3 to $4. My monthly pension is a dollar and a half. Look at how Israel has progressed over the last 20 years, while Venezuela, with all its enormous oil wealth, has been going backward," he said.

One of the steps Brener is promoting as part of his work to renew Venezuelan-Israeli relations is a declaration by 29 members of Venezuela's elected parliament that recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. A parliamentary friendship association is also being established.

For a year and a half, Venezuela has been engulfed in a political and constitutional crisis following a disputed presidential election between Nicolás Maduro and Guaidó. The crisis has led to economic disaster, which has prompted many residents of Venezuela to move away, seeking to build their lives elsewhere.

Guaidó's status as president is disputed. A total of 59 countries, including Israel, have recognized him as the legitimate president of Venezuela, in place of Maduro. Countries that support Maduro include Iran, Turkey, Cuba, North Korea, Russia, China, and the Palestinian Authority.  

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"Without a doubt, our relationship with Israel is important and we are talking about a change in this relationship. We are united with Israel on values such as peace, democracy, and the fight against terrorism, so I'm convinced that relations will be profound," said Borges, who serves under Venezuela's Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó.

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Venezuela is currently embroiled in a political crisis concerning who is the country's legitimate president, which has been underway since Jan. 10, 2019, with the nation and the world divided in support of Guaidó and rival President Nicolás Maduro.

Guaidó has been recognized as the country's president by some 60 nations worldwide, including the United States and Israel.

In a recent visit to Israel, Borges said that Caracas lends great importance to its ties with Jerusalem, adding, "We want to learn from Israel, among other things because our two countries share similar threats like terrorism. Renewing our relationship is an issue of paramount importance on the agenda led by President Guaidó."

Venezuela cut ties with Israel in 2009 in protest over its military offensive in the Gaza Strip, which targeted Hamas, the terrorist group ruling the coastal enclave.

Borges, who is currently based in Bogotá, said that "Maduro's dictatorship has isolated Venezuela – no country wants anything to do with a government that served as a patron to terrorism."

He further accused Maduro of being in cahoots with terrorist organizations: "Maduro's alliance with terrorist organizations, groups like Colombia's ELN [National Liberation Army] or FARC [the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People's Army], or like Hezbollah [in Lebanon] has allowed him to pursue an economic policy based on trafficking in drugs, gold, and diamonds."

The second reason for Maduro's survival, according to Borges, is the Cuban dictatorship that has taken over Venezuela's centers of power.

Speaking of the Jewish community in his country, Borges said that "Venezuela was a country of opportunities where everyone was treated with the same affection. That has changed. We live in a devastated country, plagued by a humanitarian crisis, and under a regime that sponsors terrorism. All this led to an emigration process, among the Jewish community as well.

"We're fighting so that everyone can come back, including Jews. I know how hard it is to leave everything behind and I'm sure they miss [Venezuela] but we have to move forward and fight to win our country back, so that we can all go back to living in a Venezuela that champions development, justice, and freedom. These are things we currently can only dream about."

But Borges said he was optimistic about a change in government in the near future.

"We have extensive international support, as well as at home, where the Venezuelan people have given their all for this cause."

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