🔗 Share this article

This daring getaway of political leader María Corina Machado involved a long, “scary” and soaking sea crossing in the pitch black of night, as detailed by the American man who says he led the operation.

A Perilous Nocturnal Voyage

Bryan Stern, who heads a nonprofit rescue organisation, outlined the operation in a newly published interview. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, describing dark and choppy conditions that also provided ideal concealment for the flight.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but certainly not water that you would want to be on ... the higher the waves, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” he remarked.

He described rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she left Venezuela, where she had been lying low for over a year fearing targeting by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Step-by-Step Extraction

She boarded his boat for a half-day trip to an secret location to catch a plane, as part of orchestrated just days before. “This was in the middle of the night – very little moon, some cloud coverage, extremely low visibility, vessels running dark. All of us were pretty wet. My crew and I were drenched. She was also chilled and wet. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern noted.

Regarding her state, he said, She was elated. She was very excited. She was very tired,” and noted about two dozen people were actively participating within his organization.

Confirmation and Disguise

Spokespeople for Machado verified that Stern’s foundation was responsible for the extraction, which commenced earlier in the week. This account comes after previous reporting that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to flee her hideout in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

The veteran declined to share specifics about the land operation, referencing his company’s future work in the region.

Funding and US Role

He stated publicly the mission was financed by “several benefactors” – with no US officials involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, at least not that I know of,” Stern asserted.

He said, however, that his group did coordinate informally with the US military regarding positioning and plans, largely to avoid being targeted by airstrikes.

Future Plans and Admiration

The opposition leader stated she had US support to depart Venezuela. She has announced plans to go back, though the specifics remain uncertain how or when.

Stern said his group would not be involved in that operation, as it worked only on getting people out of countries, not bringing them back. “That’s for her to determine for herself. But I think she should not go back. Yet she is determined. Maria is truly inspirational,” he said.