🔗 Share this article

The daring escape of political leader María Corina Machado entailed a lengthy, frightening and soaking sea crossing in the pitch black of night, according to the American man who claims to have commanded the operation.

A Perilous Nocturnal Voyage

The rescue organizer, who heads a rescue nonprofit, detailed the mission in a newly published media appearance. “It was dangerous. It was terrifying,” stated Stern, an ex-special forces operative, recounting dark and choppy conditions that also provided convenient cover for the escape.

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

He described meeting Machado out at sea after she left Venezuela, where she had been lying low for over a year fearing persecution by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Detailed Escape Plan

Machado embarked on his boat for a half-day journey to an secret location to board a flight, in a mission planned just four days earlier. “This was in the middle of the night – very little moon, a little bit of cloud cover, very hard to see, 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 endured a grueling passage,” Stern added.

Regarding her state, he commented, “She was very happy. She was very excited. 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 behind the extraction, which commenced earlier in the week. This report follows earlier stories that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to leave her hideout in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

The veteran declined to share specifics about the land operation, citing his organization's ongoing operations in the region.

Financing and US Role

He stated publicly the mission was financed by “a few generous donors” – none of whom were US officials involved. Official US funds were not used, to my knowledge,” Stern said.

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

Future Plans and Admiration

Machado said she had US support to leave Venezuela. She has declared her intention to go back, though it is not clear how or when.

Stern indicated his group would play no part in that operation, as it focuses exclusively on extracting individuals from 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.