Starlink To Provide Free Internet Services In Venezuela Through Feb. 3 As Elon Musk Extends 'Support'

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has expressed support for the people of Venezuela as SpaceX-owned Starlink announced it was providing free broadband internet services in the country for a limited period, as Venezuela remains gripped by fast-moving political developments.

In a post on 'X' (formerly Twitter, Musk said, "In support of the people of Venezuela," re-posting a message from Starlink outlining the initiative. The reposted message, "Starlink is providing free broadband service to the people of Venezuela through Feb. 3, ensuring continued connectivity."

The announcement coincided with scenes involving deposed Dictator Nicolas Maduro following his removal by the US. Video released by US authorities showed the captured Venezuelan leader in handcuffs during a staged perp walk. In the footage, Maduro was seen wishing reporters and Drug Enforcement Administration agents a Happy New Year as he was led to custody.

Also, Venezuela's Supreme Court moved to address the leadership vacuum, ordering Vice President Delcy Rodriguez to assume the powers and duties of acting president after the US removed Nicolas Maduro.

“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow. …… Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Donald Trump said on his social media account, Truth Social, on Saturday.

Trump said US oil companies will spend billions of dollars to rebuild Venezuela’s crumbling energy infrastructure after a military operation that led to the capture of Nicolas Maduro, the country’s former leader. 

During a press conference Saturday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Trump described an ambitious vision to use US financial resources and industry knowhow to restore the South American nation’s oil sector to its former glory.

“We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies — the biggest anywhere in the world — go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure — the oil infrastructure — and start making money for the country,” Trump said. “They will be reimbursed.”

Analysts and traders say it could easily take years for critical infrastructure to be fully repaired and for oil to freely flow out of Venezuela, which currently accounts for less than 1% of global supplies even though it has the world’s largest reserves, according to a Bloomberg report.