SpaceX’s Starlink is offering customers in Venezuela free access to its internet service after the US captured the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro. According to CNBC, some areas of Caracas and other parts of the country lost power and internet connectivity in the wake of the operation.
Starlink says its focus is “on enabling connectivity for new and existing customers to support the people of Venezuela.” At the time of writing, Starlink does not yet appear to formally operate in the country, as its availability map states that service there is “coming soon.”
Still, Starlink says it is proactively applying service credits to active accounts in Venezuela until February 3. Those who have paused or canceled their service but still have the necessary Starlink hardware can also reactivate their account at no extra cost for now.
Of course, those without a Starlink terminal won’t be able to take advantage of this offer right now. “We are actively monitoring evolving conditions and regulatory requirements,” Starlink said on a support page. “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.” SpaceX previously pledged to offer free service in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion of the country in 2022.
US forces carried out airstrikes and a ground operation to capture Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on Saturday. The US has indicted the pair and others on several charges, including narco-terrorism conspiracy and cocaine importation conspiracy. Venezuela’s Supreme Court ordered the appointment of Vice President Delcy Rodriguez as acting president in Maduro’s absence.
According to the Department of War, US President Donald Trump has declared that his administration “will oversee Venezuela until a safe transition to a legitimate replacement” takes place. Trump has also laid out plans for American companies to tap into the South American country’s oil reserves.
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