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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 US veteran who claims to have commanded the mission.

The Perilous Nocturnal Voyage

The rescue organizer, who leads a nonprofit rescue organisation, detailed the operation in a recent interview. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” stated Stern, an ex-special forces operative, describing dark and choppy conditions that simultaneously offered convenient cover 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 harder it is for radar to see,” he remarked.

He recalled meeting Machado out at sea after she left Venezuela, where she had been lying low for over a year due to fear of targeting by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Detailed Extraction

She boarded his boat for a half-day journey to an secret location to board a flight, in a mission orchestrated just four days earlier. “This was in the middle of the night – minimal moonlight, some cloud coverage, extremely low visibility, vessels running dark. Everyone was quite damp. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern noted.

Regarding her state, he said, She was elated. She was very excited. She was exhausted,” adding that about two dozen people were actively participating within his organization.

Confirmation and Concealment

Spokespeople for Machado verified that Stern’s company was behind the extraction, which began on Tuesday. This report follows previous reporting that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to flee her safe house 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 country.

Funding and US Role

He stated publicly the endeavor was funded through “several benefactors” – none of whom were US officials involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, to my knowledge,” Stern said.

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

Future Plans and Admiration

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

Stern said his group would play no part in a return mission, as it worked only on extracting individuals from countries, not bringing them back. “That’s for her to determine for herself. Personally, I advise against returning. But she wants to. Maria is truly inspirational,” he said.