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The audacious escape 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 says he led the mission.

The Dangerous Nocturnal Voyage

The rescue organizer, who leads a nonprofit rescue organisation, detailed the operation in a recent media appearance. It was perilous. It was terrifying,” stated 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 certainly not water that you would want to be on ... the bigger the swells, the harder it is for radar to see,” Stern said.

He described meeting Machado out at sea after she left the country, where she had been lying low for over a year due to fear of targeting by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.

A Detailed Extraction

She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour trip to an undisclosed location to board a flight, in a mission orchestrated just days before. “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. All of us were pretty wet. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was also chilled and wet. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern added.

Regarding her state, he said, “She was very happy. She was very excited. She was exhausted,” adding that about two dozen people were actively participating within his team.

Verification and Disguise

A representative for Machado confirmed that Stern’s foundation was behind the extraction, which began on Tuesday. This account comes after earlier stories that Machado used a wig and costume to flee her hideout in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

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

Funding and US Role

He told media the endeavor was funded through “a few generous donors” – with no US government figures involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, 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.

Future Plans and Admiration

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

Stern said his group would not be involved in a return mission, 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. But she wants to. Maria is truly inspirational,” he concluded.