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This audacious getaway of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado involved a lengthy, “scary” and very wet boat journey 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 nonprofit rescue organisation, detailed the operation in a newly published interview. It was perilous. It was scary,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, describing rough and moonless seas that simultaneously offered ideal concealment for the escape.

“The sea conditions were ideal for us, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the bigger the swells, the harder it is for radar to see,” he remarked.

He described rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she left the country, where she had been lying low since August 2024 due to fear of targeting by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

The 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 – minimal moonlight, some cloud coverage, very hard to see, boats have no lights. Everyone was quite damp. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was also chilled and wet. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern noted.

Regarding her state, he said, She was elated. She was thrilled. She was exhausted,” and noted about twenty-four people were actively participating within his organization.

Verification and Disguise

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

The veteran declined to share details about the land operation, referencing his organization's ongoing operations in the country.

Funding and US Role

He stated publicly the mission was financed by “several benefactors” – none of whom were US officials involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, at least not that I know of,” Stern said.

He said, however, that his group did coordinate informally with the US military regarding locations and strategy, primarily to prevent being mistakenly fired upon.

Future Plans and Admiration

The opposition leader stated she had American backing to depart Venezuela. She has announced plans to return home, though the specifics remain uncertain how or when.

Stern said his group would not be involved in a return mission, as it worked only on getting people out of countries, not in. “She must decide that and for her to decide. But I think she should not go back. Yet she is determined. She is a genuine inspiration,” he said.