🔗 Share this article

This daring escape of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado entailed a lengthy, frightening and very wet boat journey in the pitch black of night, as detailed by the American man who says he led the operation.

A Dangerous Nocturnal Crossing

Bryan Stern, who heads a nonprofit rescue organisation, detailed the operation in a recent interview. “It was dangerous. It was terrifying,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, 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 bigger the swells, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” he remarked.

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

A Step-by-Step Escape Plan

Machado embarked on his boat for a half-day trip to an secret location to catch a plane, as part of planned just four days earlier. The operation occurred at midnight – minimal moonlight, a little bit of cloud cover, very hard to see, boats have no lights. Everyone was quite damp. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was also chilled and wet. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern added.

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

Confirmation and Concealment

Spokespeople for Machado confirmed that Stern’s foundation was responsible for the extraction, which began on Tuesday. This account follows previous reporting that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to flee her hideout in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Stern did not divulge specifics about the ground segment, citing his company’s future work in the region.

Funding and US Role

He stated publicly the endeavor 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 clarified, though, that his group did coordinate informally with the American armed forces regarding positioning and plans, primarily to prevent being targeted by airstrikes.

Next Steps 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 that operation, as it worked only on extracting individuals from countries, not bringing them back. “She must decide that and for her to decide. But I think she should not go back. But she wants to. Maria is truly inspirational,” he said.