🔗 Share this article

The daring getaway of political leader María Corina Machado involved a long, “scary” and soaking boat journey in the dead of night, as detailed by the American man who claims to have commanded the mission.

A Dangerous Nighttime Crossing

Bryan Stern, who leads a nonprofit rescue organisation, detailed the mission in a newly published media appearance. “It was dangerous. It was scary,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, recounting dark and choppy conditions that simultaneously offered ideal concealment for the flight.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but certainly not water that you would want to be on ... the bigger the swells, the harder it is for radar to see,” Stern said.

He recalled rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she departed from Venezuela, where she had been in hiding for over a year due to fear of targeting by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Detailed Extraction

She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour trip to an undisclosed location to board a flight, in a mission planned just days before. The operation occurred at midnight – very little moon, some cloud coverage, very hard to see, vessels running dark. All of us were pretty wet. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern added.

Describing her condition, he commented, She was elated. She was thrilled. She was very tired,” adding that about twenty-four people were directly involved within his team.

Verification and Disguise

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

Stern did not divulge details about the land operation, citing his company’s future work in the region.

Funding and US Role

He stated publicly the mission was financed by “a few generous donors” – none of whom were US government figures involved. Official US funds were not used, at least not that I know of,” Stern said.

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

Future Plans and Inspiration

The opposition leader stated she had American backing to depart Venezuela. She has announced plans to return home, though it is not clear how or when.

Stern said his group would not be involved in a return mission, as it worked only on extracting individuals from countries, not in. “That’s for her to determine for herself. Personally, I advise against returning. Yet she is determined. She is a genuine inspiration,” he concluded.