NEW YORK, Jan 4: Elon Musk’s satellite internet service Starlink announced free broadband access for all Venezuelan users through February 3, ensuring continued connectivity amid the political upheaval following the US military capture of President Nicolas Maduro.
“Starlink is providing free broadband service to the people of Venezuela through February 3, ensuring continued connectivity,” the company stated on social media platform X. Quoting Starlink’s post, Musk wrote “In support of the people of Venezuela”.
The initiative comes after the United States launched a swift overnight military operation on January 3, capturing Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores from Venezuela.
For active customers, no action is required as free service credits are being proactively applied to accounts. Inactive customers who paused service or became inactive due to payment issues will also receive automatic credits, allowing them to reactivate during this period.
The move responds to immediate infrastructure challenges, as military strikes caused widespread blackouts affecting over 60 percent of Caracas. Hospitals operated on generators while streets remained in darkness during the pre-dawn operation.
Maduro and Flores were flown from Caracas by US helicopter in the early Saturday hours and taken aboard the USS Iwo Jima at an undisclosed Caribbean location. Trump shared Maduro’s first photo after arrest on social media, which Musk reshared with the caption: “Congratulations, President Trump! This is a win for the world and a clear message to evil dictators everywhere”.
In another post, the tech billionaire wrote “It is heartwarming to see so many Venezuelans celebrating their country freed from a brutal tyrant”.
Musk has been a long-time vocal critic of the Maduro government, repeatedly calling for political change and blaming Venezuela’s economic collapse on government policies. During Venezuela’s 2024 elections, he openly supported opposition leader María Corina Machado, who later won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025.
Following Maduro’s removal, US President Donald Trump stated America will “run” Venezuela until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” can be ensured. When asked who would comprise that transitional group, Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio had been speaking with Vice President Delcy Rodriguez.
Trump told reporters Rodriguez was willing to cooperate with Washington and showed readiness to do “whatever” the US needed. “I think she was quite gracious,” Trump added. “We can’t take a chance that somebody else takes over Venezuela that doesn’t have the good of the Venezuelan people in mind”.
Venezuela has announced a state of national emergency and denounced the “military aggression,” with the country’s vice president saying Maduro remains its only leader.
Starlink previously provided free service in Ukraine during the 2022 war, helping over 1 million people stay connected when traditional networks were destroyed. The company also supported disaster relief efforts in Jamaica, the Philippines following Typhoon Opong, and Sudan during civil war-related internet blackouts.
