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The daring escape of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado involved a long, frightening and soaking boat journey in the pitch black of night, according to the American man who claims to have commanded the mission.

The Dangerous Nighttime Crossing

The rescue organizer, who heads a nonprofit rescue organisation, detailed the mission in a newly published media appearance. “It was dangerous. It was scary,” said Stern, a US special forces veteran, describing dark and choppy conditions that simultaneously offered ideal concealment for the escape.

“The sea conditions were ideal for us, 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 described rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she departed from the country, where she had been in hiding for over a year fearing targeting by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Step-by-Step Escape Plan

Machado embarked on his boat for a half-day journey to an secret location to catch a plane, in a mission planned just days before. The operation occurred at midnight – minimal moonlight, a little bit of cloud cover, extremely low visibility, vessels running dark. 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 added.

Describing her condition, he said, “She was very happy. She was thrilled. She was very tired,” and noted about two dozen people were directly involved within his organization.

Verification and Concealment

Spokespeople for Machado verified that Stern’s company was behind the operation, which commenced earlier in the week. This report comes after earlier stories 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 ground segment, referencing his organization's ongoing operations in the country.

Financing and American Involvement

He told media the endeavor was financed by “several benefactors” – with no US officials involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, to my knowledge,” Stern said.

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

Next Steps and Admiration

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

Stern indicated his group would not be involved in that operation, as it worked only on getting people out of countries, not in. “That’s for her to determine and for her to decide. Personally, I advise against returning. Yet she is determined. She is a genuine inspiration,” he said.