🔗 Share this article

The daring escape of political leader María Corina Machado involved a lengthy, frightening and soaking sea crossing in the dead of night, as detailed by the American man who says he led the operation.

A Perilous Nocturnal Crossing

Bryan Stern, who leads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the operation in a newly published media appearance. “It was dangerous. It was scary,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, describing dark and choppy conditions that simultaneously offered ideal concealment for the escape.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but certainly not water that you would want to be on ... the bigger the swells, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” Stern said.

He recalled meeting Machado out at sea after she left Venezuela, 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

She boarded his boat for a half-day journey to an secret location to board a flight, as part of planned just four days earlier. “This was in the middle of the night – very little moon, some cloud coverage, very hard to see, boats have no lights. Everyone was quite damp. My crew and I were drenched. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern noted.

Regarding her state, he said, “She was very happy. She was thrilled. She was exhausted,” adding that about two dozen people were directly involved within his team.

Confirmation and Concealment

A representative for Machado verified that Stern’s company was responsible for the extraction, which began on Tuesday. This account comes after previous reporting that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to flee her hideout in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

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

Financing and US Role

He told media the mission was funded through “a few generous donors” – with no US government figures involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, at least not that I know of,” Stern said.

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

Future Plans and Admiration

The opposition leader stated she had American backing to leave Venezuela. She has declared her intention to go back, though it is not clear the method or timing.

Stern said his group would play no part in that operation, as it worked only on extracting individuals from countries, not in. “She must decide that for herself. But I think she should not go back. But she wants to. She is a genuine inspiration,” he said.