This daring getaway of political leader María Corina Machado entailed a long, “scary” and soaking boat journey in the dead of night, as detailed by the American man who claims to have commanded the operation.
The rescue organizer, who heads a rescue nonprofit, outlined the mission in a newly published interview. “It was dangerous. It was terrifying,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, recounting rough and moonless seas that also provided ideal concealment for the escape.
“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the higher the waves, the harder it is for radar to see,” Stern said.
He described meeting Machado out at sea after she departed from the country, where she had been in hiding for over a year fearing targeting by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.
She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour trip to an secret location to catch a plane, in a mission planned just four days earlier. “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. Everyone was quite damp. My crew and I were drenched. She was pretty cold and wet, too. She endured a grueling passage,” Stern added.
Describing her condition, he said, “She was very happy. She was very excited. She was exhausted,” and noted about twenty-four people were directly involved within his team.
A representative for Machado verified that Stern’s foundation was responsible for the operation, which commenced earlier in the week. This report follows previous reporting that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to leave her safe house in a outskirts of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.
Stern did not divulge specifics about the ground segment, citing his organization's ongoing operations in the country.
He told media the endeavor was funded through “a few generous donors” – with no US officials involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, to my knowledge,” Stern asserted.
He said, however, that his group did coordinate informally with the American armed forces regarding positioning and plans, primarily to prevent being targeted by airstrikes.
The opposition leader stated she had US support to leave Venezuela. She has declared her intention to go back, though the specifics remain uncertain the method or timing.
Stern indicated his group would not be involved in that operation, as it worked only on extracting individuals from countries, not in. “She must decide that and for her to decide. Personally, I advise against returning. Yet she is determined. Maria is truly inspirational,” he concluded.
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