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The daring escape of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado involved a long, frightening and very wet boat journey in the pitch black of night, according to the US veteran who says he led the operation.

The Perilous Nighttime Voyage

The rescue organizer, who heads a rescue nonprofit, outlined the mission in a recent media appearance. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” stated Stern, an ex-special forces operative, recounting dark and choppy conditions that also provided ideal concealment for the escape.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the bigger the swells, the harder it is for radar to see,” 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 persecution by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Detailed Escape Plan

She boarded his boat for a half-day journey to an secret location to catch a plane, in a mission planned just days before. The operation occurred at midnight – very little moon, some cloud coverage, very hard to see, boats have no lights. All of us were pretty wet. My crew and I were drenched. She was also chilled and wet. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern noted.

Regarding her state, he commented, She was elated. She was thrilled. She was exhausted,” and noted about twenty-four people were directly involved within his team.

Verification and Disguise

A representative for Machado confirmed that Stern’s company was responsible for the extraction, which commenced earlier in the week. This account follows earlier stories that Machado used a wig and costume to flee her hideout in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

The veteran declined to share specifics about the ground segment, citing his company’s future work in the region.

Funding and US Involvement

He told media 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 asserted.

He said, however, that his group did “unofficially collaborate” with the US military regarding locations and strategy, primarily to prevent being mistakenly fired upon.

Next Steps and Admiration

Machado said she had American backing to depart Venezuela. She has declared her intention to go back, though the specifics remain uncertain how or when.

Stern indicated his group would play no part 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. But she wants to. Maria is truly inspirational,” he concluded.