After an eventful and historic weekend in Venezuela, Starlink has stepped in to offer free satellite internet access to the country, providing a temporary layer of digital stability amid rapid political change.
In a post shared on X, Starlink confirmed that it will offer free broadband service to users in Venezuela through February 3, allowing customers with existing Starlink terminals to remain connected during a period of uncertainty.
The announcement was later echoed by Elon Musk, who said the move was made “in support of the people of Venezuela.”
The decision comes in the wake of a dramatic shift in the country’s leadership. Over the weekend, the Trump Administration confirmed that Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was forcibly removed and arrested during a nighttime operation that reportedly involved air strikes targeting strategic locations in Caracas.
As of Sunday morning, Venezuela’s Supreme Court ordered Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to assume the powers and duties of acting president. Rodríguez now faces the difficult task of stabilizing the government while navigating pressure from Washington and maintaining order within the country’s political and security institutions.
Despite the upheaval, there have been no confirmed reports of widespread internet outages across Venezuela so far. Major telecommunications networks appear to be operating normally, suggesting that core infrastructure has remained intact.
However, Starlink’s free service offer provides an additional safety net for individuals, businesses, journalists, and aid organizations that already rely on satellite connectivity.
Starlink has previously played a similar role in other crisis situations, particularly where traditional communications networks were disrupted or unreliable. Because the system operates independently of local ground-based infrastructure, it can offer a resilient alternative during natural disasters, conflicts, or periods of political instability. In Venezuela’s case, the service does not introduce new terminals into the country but instead benefits existing users by temporarily removing subscription costs.
