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This audacious escape of political leader María Corina Machado entailed a long, “scary” and soaking boat journey in the dead of night, according to the American man who says he led the mission.

A Dangerous Nighttime Crossing

The rescue organizer, who heads a nonprofit rescue organisation, outlined the operation in a newly published interview. It was perilous. It was scary,” said Stern, a US special forces veteran, 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 harder it is for radar to see,” Stern said.

He recalled 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 Step-by-Step Escape Plan

She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour trip to an undisclosed location to board a flight, in a mission orchestrated just four days earlier. The operation occurred at midnight – 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 also chilled and wet. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern noted.

Regarding her state, he commented, She was elated. She was very excited. She was exhausted,” and noted about two dozen people were actively participating within his organization.

Confirmation and Concealment

A representative for Machado confirmed that Stern’s foundation was behind the extraction, which commenced earlier in the week. This report follows earlier stories that Machado used a wig and costume to flee her hideout in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Stern did not divulge details about the ground segment, referencing his company’s future work in the country.

Financing and American 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, at least not that I know of,” Stern asserted.

He clarified, though, 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 Admiration

The opposition leader stated she had US support to depart Venezuela. She has announced plans to return home, though it is not clear the method or timing.

Stern indicated his group would not be involved in a return mission, as it focuses exclusively on getting people out of countries, not bringing them back. “She must decide that for herself. Personally, I advise against returning. But she wants to. She is a genuine inspiration,” he concluded.