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The daring getaway of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado entailed a long, frightening and soaking boat journey in the dead of night, according to the US veteran who says he led the mission.

The Perilous Nocturnal Voyage

Bryan Stern, who heads a nonprofit rescue organisation, outlined the operation in a newly published interview. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, recounting rough and moonless seas that simultaneously offered ideal concealment for the flight.

“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,” Stern said.

He described meeting Machado out at sea after she departed from the country, where she had been in hiding since August 2024 due to fear of persecution by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Step-by-Step Escape Plan

Machado embarked on his boat for a 13- to 14-hour trip to an undisclosed location to catch a plane, as part of planned just days before. “This was in the middle of the night – very little moon, a little bit of cloud cover, extremely low visibility, boats have no lights. 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 added.

Regarding her state, he said, She was elated. She was thrilled. She was exhausted,” and noted about two dozen people were directly involved within his team.

Confirmation and Concealment

Spokespeople for Machado confirmed that Stern’s company was behind the extraction, which began on Tuesday. This report comes after previous reporting that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to leave her hideout in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

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

Funding and American 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 coordinate informally with the American armed forces regarding locations and strategy, largely to avoid being mistakenly fired upon.

Future Plans and Admiration

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 indicated 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 and for her to decide. But I think she should not go back. Yet she is determined. She is a genuine inspiration,” he concluded.