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The daring escape of political leader María Corina Machado involved a lengthy, “scary” and soaking boat journey in the dead of night, as detailed by the American man who says he led the mission.

A Perilous Nocturnal Voyage

Bryan Stern, who leads a nonprofit rescue organisation, outlined the operation in a newly published media appearance. It was perilous. It was scary,” said Stern, a US special forces veteran, describing dark and choppy conditions that also provided ideal concealment for the flight.

“The sea conditions were ideal for us, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the higher the waves, the harder it is for radar to see,” Stern said.

He described rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she left Venezuela, where she had been lying low for over a year fearing persecution by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Step-by-Step Extraction

Machado embarked on his boat for a 13- to 14-hour journey to an secret location to catch a plane, in a mission orchestrated just days before. “This was in the middle of the night – minimal moonlight, some cloud coverage, extremely low visibility, boats have no lights. All of us were pretty wet. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern added.

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

Confirmation and Disguise

Spokespeople for Machado verified that Stern’s company was behind 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 suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

The veteran declined to share details about the land operation, referencing his company’s future work in the region.

Funding and American Role

He told media the mission was financed by “several benefactors” – none of whom were US government figures involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, to my knowledge,” Stern said.

He clarified, though, that his group did “unofficially collaborate” with the American armed forces regarding locations and strategy, primarily to prevent being targeted by airstrikes.

Next Steps and Inspiration

Machado said she had US support 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 not be involved in that operation, as it focuses exclusively 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. But she wants to. She is a genuine inspiration,” he concluded.