In a harrowing journey that reads more like a spy thriller than a diplomatic mission, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was forced to secretly coordinate with the White House to ensure her boat was not destroyed by US military forces.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner, who has been barred from leaving her country by the authoritarian regime of Nicolas Maduro, had to secure a guarantee that Donald Trump's aggressive anti-drug naval operations would not inadvertently turn her voyage into a tragedy.
