SpaceX’s satellite internet service Starlink will offer free broadband to people in Venezuela until February 3, the company has announced, days after the US kidnapped President Nicolas Maduro in an illegal operation.
The statement was shared on the social platform X by Starlink and later reposted by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, a known supporter of US President Donald Trump. “Starlink is providing free broadband service to the people of Venezuela through February 3, ensuring continued connectivity,” the statement said late Saturday. Musk added, “In support of the people of Venezuela,” alongside a Venezuelan flag.
The announcement follows a U.S. operation in Venezuela in which President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured and flown to New York to face trumped up charges, including drug trafficking, terrorism, and firearms violations.
Maduro is currently held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
Musk has previously expressed support for the U.S. operation in Venezuela.
The Starlink announcement came shortly after Musk attended a dinner with former President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on Saturday.