Elon Musk’s Starlink is offering free internet service in Venezuela after the US conducted a “large scale strike” on the nation and captured dictator Nicolás Maduro.
In a Sunday blog post on its website, Starlink – which is owned by Musk’s rocket company SpaceX – said it was adding service credits to both active and inactive accounts in Venezuela.
Users there can put those credits toward free broadband internet service through Feb. 3, according to the company.
Parts of Venezuela’s capital Caracas and adjacent Miranda state reportedly had power and internet outages in the wake of the historic raid.
“We are actively monitoring evolving conditions and regulatory requirements,” Starlink said in a statement.
“While we do not have yet have [sic] a timeline for local purchase availability, if and when there are updates they will be communicated directly through official Starlink channels and reflected on this page.”
Starlink provides internet access via low-orbit satellites that are built by SpaceX and launched on SpaceX rockets. Users must purchase separate equipment to connect to the service.
It was not immediately clear whether free access would continue after Feb. 3.
The Post has sought comment from SpaceX.
The US raid on Saturday mostly targeted Caracas, though the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira were also reportedly hit.
On Monday during their first court appearance, Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty to federal charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and weapons offenses.
Trump vowed Saturday the US will “run” Venezuela until it can ensure a safe transition to new leadership, while American companies will “fix” the nation’s oil infrastructure and “start making money.”
He also announced that Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as interim president after Maduro’s arrest – warning that if she does not cooperate, she will face a situation “probably worse” than Maduro.
It’s not the first time Starlink has swooped in to provide internet service during global conflicts.
In 2022, the satellite service was rolled out in Ukraine to provide internet connectivity where service had been badly damaged by the Russian invasion.
Ukrainian officials have praised Starlink for its service, claiming it has become a key tool for civilians and military officials alike during the Russia-Ukraine War.
But some have raised concerns about Starlink’s ability to consolidate power by becoming the sole private firm offering internet service in areas of conflict and war.
Musk said in 2023 he’d denied a Ukrainian government request to newly provide Starlink access “all the way to Sevastopol” because he didn’t want to make SpaceX “explicitly complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation.”
A US Senate committee has probed issues concerning a single private citizen’s ability to have that much impact over a foreign conflict.
Starlink has also been used in nations like Iran to skirt around government-imposed censorship.
As the service has emerged as a dominant satellite broadband provider, China has been rushing to catch up with alternatives like Shanghai-based Qianfan, also known as SpaceSail, and Beijing’s state-owned space program – which have hurried to launch similar low-orbit satellites.
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