This daring escape of political leader María Corina Machado involved a long, frightening and soaking boat journey in the dead of night, according to the American man who claims to have commanded the mission.
Bryan Stern, who leads a nonprofit rescue organisation, detailed the mission in a recent media appearance. It was perilous. It was scary,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, recounting dark and choppy conditions 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 bigger the swells, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” Stern said.
He recalled meeting Machado out at sea after she left the country, where she had been lying low since August 2024 due to fear of persecution by the administration of President Nicolás Maduro.
She boarded his boat for a 13- to 14-hour journey to an secret location to board a flight, as part of planned just days before. “This was in the middle of the night – minimal moonlight, 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 noted.
Regarding her state, he said, “She was very happy. She was thrilled. She was exhausted,” adding that about two dozen people were directly involved within his organization.
A representative for Machado confirmed that Stern’s company was behind the extraction, which began on Tuesday. This report comes after earlier stories that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to flee her safe house in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.
The veteran declined to share details about the ground segment, referencing his company’s future work in the country.
He stated publicly the mission was financed by “a few generous donors” – none of whom were US government figures involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, to my knowledge,” 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.
The opposition leader stated she had American backing to leave Venezuela. She has declared her intention to go back, though the specifics remain uncertain how or when.
Stern indicated his group would play no part in a return mission, as it focuses exclusively on getting people out of countries, not in. “That’s for her to determine and for her to decide. But I think she should not go back. But she wants to. She is a genuine inspiration,” he concluded.
Elara is a seasoned writer and digital storyteller with a passion for exploring diverse literary genres and empowering others through words.
