Machado escape planner feared US strike on her vessel as it fled Venezuela

Special forces veteran Bryan Stern says he told US defence officials some of his planned route to reduce airstrike riskThe most dangerous moments came when salvation seemed finally assured.Many miles from land, the small fishing skiff carrying the Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel prize laureate María Corina Machado had been lost at sea for hours, tossed by strong winds and 10ft waves. A further hazard was the ever present risk of an inadvertent airstrike by US warplanes hunting alleged cocaine smugglers. Continue reading...