Billionaire Elon Musk announced that Starlink will provide free internet access to Venezuela for one month to support the people during the transition period following major political and security upheavals.
Billionaire Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service announced on January 4th that it will provide free high-speed internet to Venezuelans for one month following the arrest of leader Nicolás Maduro by US forces.
An official announcement posted on Starlink’s social media stated that it will guarantee free telecommunications connectivity for Venezuela until February 3, 2026.
In a message sharing this announcement, Elon Musk wrote that this was an act of support for the people of Venezuela.
Previously, he had repeatedly and publicly expressed support for the campaign that led to Maduro’s arrest, while also predicting a prosperous future for a country once rich in resources but ravaged by dictatorship and corruption.
Starlink, owned by SpaceX, currently provides satellite internet service to over 6 million users worldwide.
Opening up free access to the internet in Venezuela is seen as a strategically significant move given the country’s uncertain transition period following Maduro’s arrest.
However, alongside signals of technical and humanitarian assistance, many cautious warnings have also been issued by policymakers.
Mike Froman, former U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and now president of the Council on Foreign Relations, believes that the leadership transition in Venezuela will not be as quick or smooth as many people expect.
Speaking on television, Froman emphasized that many key questions remain unanswered regarding Venezuela, particularly the issue of elections.
According to him, the most important thing for Venezuela’s future is to create the conditions for a truly free, fair, and transparent election, thereby establishing a legitimate government.
In addition to political factors, Froman also pointed out major uncertainties in the oil sector.
Although American companies have long been interested in Venezuela, the question is whether they are willing to invest billions of dollars in rebuilding oil and gas infrastructure without a stable political and security environment.