The daring getaway of political leader María Corina Machado involved a lengthy, frightening and very wet sea crossing in the pitch black of night, according to the US veteran who claims to have commanded the operation.
Bryan Stern, who leads a rescue nonprofit, outlined the mission in a recent interview. “It was dangerous. It was scary,” stated Stern, a US special forces veteran, recounting rough and moonless seas that simultaneously offered convenient cover for the flight.
“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but certainly not water that you would want to be on ... the bigger the swells, 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 for over a year fearing targeting by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.
Machado embarked on his boat for a half-day trip to an undisclosed location to board a flight, as part of orchestrated just four days earlier. The operation occurred at midnight – very little moon, some cloud coverage, extremely low visibility, 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 had a very arduous journey,” Stern noted.
Describing her condition, he said, “She was very happy. She was very excited. She was exhausted,” adding that about twenty-four people were directly involved within his organization.
A representative for Machado confirmed that Stern’s foundation was responsible for the operation, which began on Tuesday. This account comes after previous reporting that Machado used a wig and costume to leave her hideout in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.
The veteran declined to share details about the land operation, citing his company’s future work in the country.
He told media the mission was financed by “several benefactors” – none of whom were US officials involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, to my knowledge,” Stern said.
He said, however, that his group did “unofficially collaborate” with the US military regarding locations and strategy, primarily to prevent being mistakenly fired upon.
Machado said 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 indicated his group would play no part in a return mission, as it worked only on extracting individuals from countries, not bringing them back. “That’s for her to determine for herself. Personally, I advise against returning. Yet she is determined. She is a genuine inspiration,” he concluded.
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