Gray Bull Rescue, a private organization formed by United States Army veterans, released a video this week showing details of the operation it carried out to rescue opposition leader María Corina Machado from Venezuela in October.
The operation, named “Golden Dynamite”, made it possible for María Corina to travel to Norway, the country where she received the Nobel Peace Prize.
While in Venezuela, the opposition leader lived in hiding. The country was still under the command of dictator Nicolás Maduro, who, after the 2024 electoral fraud, increased repression and persecution against opponents.
In the video, María Corina appears in images recorded after her removal from Venezuelan territory, already during her displacement to a safe location.
According to Gray Bull Rescue, the operation to remove María Corina from Venezuela was planned and executed under high political pressure and operational risk. According to the company, a team made up of US Army veterans quickly mobilized information analysis, logistical coordination and secure communications resources to structure an exit route considered discreet and less predictable.
The company states that, due to the high visibility of the opposition leader and the risk of interception, it opted at that time to withdraw by sea, which was considered less predictable. The operation was conducted under constant surveillance and with the need to adapt to environmental conditions, until María Corina left Venezuelan waters and made her way safely out of the country.
