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This audacious getaway of political leader María Corina Machado involved a long, frightening and very wet boat journey in the dead of night, as detailed by the American man who claims to have commanded the operation.

The Perilous Nighttime Voyage

Bryan Stern, who heads a nonprofit rescue organisation, outlined the mission in a recent media appearance. It was perilous. It was scary,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, recounting dark and choppy conditions that simultaneously offered convenient cover for the flight.

“The sea conditions were ideal for us, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the higher the waves, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” Stern said.

He described rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she departed from the country, where she had been in hiding since August 2024 fearing targeting by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

A 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 – minimal moonlight, a little bit of cloud cover, very hard to see, boats have no lights. All of us were pretty wet. My crew and I were drenched. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern noted.

Describing her condition, he commented, “She was very happy. She was thrilled. She was very tired,” adding that about two dozen people were actively participating within his team.

Confirmation and Disguise

Spokespeople for Machado verified that Stern’s foundation was responsible for the operation, which began on Tuesday. This account comes after earlier stories that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to leave her safe house in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

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

Financing and US Role

He stated publicly the mission was funded through “a few generous donors” – with no US government figures involved. Official US funds were not used, to my knowledge,” Stern said.

He said, however, that his group did “unofficially collaborate” with the American armed forces regarding positioning and plans, largely to avoid being mistakenly fired upon.

Next Steps and Inspiration

The opposition leader stated she had US support to depart Venezuela. She has announced plans to go back, though the specifics remain uncertain how or when.

Stern said his group would play no part in that operation, as it worked only on getting people out of countries, not in. “She must decide that for herself. Personally, I advise against returning. But she wants to. She is a genuine inspiration,” he concluded.