New York: In a dramatic move following a U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, billionaire Elon Musk announced his company would provide free internet service to the country, beginning February 3.
Musk made the announcement on his social media platform, X, sharing a post from his satellite internet venture, Starlink. “It has been decided to provide free internet to ensure continuous connectivity in Venezuela,” he stated. The offer comes just one day after a U.S. operation, ordered by President Donald Trump, led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, who were reportedly transferred to the United States.
The military action on January 3 plunged Venezuela into a communications blackout, with widespread internet and power cuts disrupting connectivity across the nation. President Trump declared that the United States would oversee the country’s administration until a governmental transition occurs.
Musk publicly endorsed the operation, congratulating Trump and calling it “a global victory and a message to evil rulers.” His subsequent pledge of free Starlink service is framed as a humanitarian effort to restore vital communication links. However, analysts are scrutinizing the offer, noting it would give Musk’s company a dominant foothold in a nation under unprecedented geopolitical strain and effectively bypass state-controlled infrastructure.
The announcement raises immediate questions about the interplay between global tech moguls and geopolitical power shifts, positioning private satellite internet as a critical tool for information flow in a country whose political future is now held in uncertain balance.
