SpaceX’s Starlink is providing customers in Venezuela free access to its internet service after the US captured the country’s President Nicolas Maduro. according to cnbcIn the wake of the operation, electricity and internet connectivity were cut off in some areas of Caracas and other parts of the country.
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 formally operate in the country, as its availability map states that service there is “coming soon.”
Nevertheless, Starlink says it is actively applying service credits to active accounts in Venezuela as of February 3. Those who have paused or canceled their service, but still have the required Starlink hardware, can also now reactivate their account at no additional cost.
Of course, those who do not have a Starlink terminal will not be able to take advantage of this offer right now. “We are actively monitoring evolving situations and regulatory requirements,” Starlink said on a support page. “While we don’t have it yet [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 promised free service to Ukraine following Russia’s invasion of the country in 2022.
The US military launched airstrikes and a ground operation on Saturday to capture Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The US has indicted the pair and others on charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy and cocaine importation conspiracy. Venezuela’s Supreme Court ordered Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to be appointed acting president in Maduro’s absence.
According to the War Department, US President Donald Trump has announced that his administration will “monitor Venezuela until a safe transition is made to a legitimate replacement”. Trump also plans to exploit the South American country’s oil reserves for American companies.
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