Elon Musk’s Starlink is giving free high-speed internet to people in Venezuela until February 3. This move follows a weekend of chaos where US forces captured the country’s longtime leader, Nicolas Maduro. SpaceX, which runs Starlink, announced on Sunday that it is giving free service credits to both current and old accounts. The company wants to help people stay connected while the country deals with the aftermath of airstrikes and a major political shift.
On January 3, the US military launched airstrikes and a ground raid to seize Maduro. Washington wants him to stand trial for drug trafficking and fixing elections. The attacks mainly hit the capital city of Caracas, but they also reached Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira. These strikes caused massive power outages and cut off standard internet for thousands of residents over the weekend.
While Starlink’s official map still lists Venezuela as “coming soon,” many people in the country already own the necessary satellite dishes. Starlink said it does not have a timeline for when people can officially buy the equipment locally, but it will post updates on its official channels.
President Donald Trump said the United States will oversee the country’s transition to a new government. On Saturday, Trump noted that Vice President Delcy Rodríguez had taken over leadership following Maduro’s arrest. However, the President also threatened a “second strike” if the new leaders do not follow Washington’s expectations.
The global reaction to the US invasion has been mixed. While some support the removal of Maduro, allies like Brazil and Spain have condemned the military action. The UN Security Council plans to meet on January 6 to discuss whether the US broke international law.
This situation mirrors Starlink’s role in Ukraine. In that conflict, Musk’s satellites provided a lifeline after Russian attacks destroyed local networks. In Venezuela, Starlink is currently footing the bill itself, though it has not revealed how many users it has in the region or the total cost of the free service.
