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This audacious getaway of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado entailed a lengthy, “scary” and very wet boat journey in the pitch black of night, according to the US veteran who claims to have commanded the mission.

A Dangerous Nocturnal Voyage

The rescue organizer, who leads a rescue nonprofit, outlined the mission in a recent interview. It was perilous. It was scary,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, describing dark and choppy conditions that simultaneously offered ideal concealment for the escape.

“The sea conditions were ideal for us, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the higher the waves, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” Stern said.

He recalled meeting Machado out at sea after she departed from the country, where she had been in hiding for over a year due to fear of persecution by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Step-by-Step Extraction

Machado embarked on his boat for a 13- to 14-hour journey 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, extremely low visibility, vessels running dark. Everyone was quite damp. My crew and I were drenched. She was also chilled and wet. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern noted.

Regarding her state, he commented, She was elated. She was very excited. She was very tired,” and noted about two dozen 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 earlier stories that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to flee her hideout in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

The veteran declined to share details about the ground segment, referencing his organization's ongoing operations in the country.

Funding and American Role

He told media the mission was financed by “a few generous donors” – none of whom were US officials involved. Official US funds were not used, at least not that I know of,” Stern asserted.

He said, however, that his group did coordinate informally with the American armed forces regarding positioning and plans, primarily to prevent being mistakenly fired upon.

Next Steps and Inspiration

The opposition leader stated she had US support to leave Venezuela. She has announced plans to return home, though the specifics remain uncertain the method or timing.

Stern said his group would not be involved in that operation, as it worked only on extracting individuals from countries, not in. “That’s for her to determine and for her to decide. But I think she should not go back. Yet she is determined. She is a genuine inspiration,” he said.