Elon Musk’s Starlink is offering free broadband internet services in Venezuela following U.S. airstrikes and the capture of ousted leader Nicolás Maduro.
In a statement, Starlink said that no further action is required for active customers, with free service credits to be proactively applied to their accounts. Customers who had paused service or became inactive due to payment issues will also receive free credits, allowing them to reactivate the service.
Starlink said its focus is on “enabling connectivity for new and existing customers to support the people of Venezuela with free service credits,” adding that the company is “actively monitoring evolving conditions and regulatory requirements.”
Starlink, a subsidiary of aerospace company SpaceX, provides internet access through low-Earth-orbit satellites and requires users to purchase separate hardware to connect to the service. While Starlink’s availability map currently lists Venezuela as “coming soon,” the company indicated that users can still access the service through a roaming plan.
“While we do [not yet have] a timeline for local purchase availability, if and when there are updates they will be communicated directly through official Starlink channels,” the company added. It remains unclear how Starlink’s services and pricing could evolve after Feb. 3.
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The move comes as parts of Caracas experienced power and internet outages following the U.S. airstrikes. Local media outlets also reported connectivity disruptions in the neighboring state of Miranda over the weekend.
This is not the first time Starlink has been deployed in a conflict zone. The satellite service was rolled out in Ukraine in 2022 after Russia’s invasion damaged large portions of the country’s internet and communications infrastructure, quickly becoming a critical tool for both civilian and military connectivity.
Since the war began, Ukraine has faced repeated disruptions to traditional communication systems, with Starlink providing a reliable alternative. The Ukrainian military has relied on the service to maintain secure communications, coordinate operations, and share intelligence, even in areas where conventional telecommunications have been damaged or destroyed. Starlink played a key role in keeping Ukrainian forces connected, particularly in remote or heavily contested regions where ground-based infrastructure was unavailable or compromised.
At the same time, the deployment raised broader concerns about the power a single private company could wield over internet access during wartime. Musk courted controversy when he said that Ukraine’s frontline would collapse if he shut off Starlink service amid the conflict with Russia, a remark widely interpreted as a “veiled threat.” A biography published in September 2023 also revealed that Musk had previously denied a Ukrainian request to activate Starlink coverage over Russian-annexed Crimea, effectively thwarting a planned drone submarine attack.
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Beyond conflict zones, Starlink has also been used to bypass government-imposed internet censorship and shutdowns. In Iran, thousands of users have reportedly accessed the unfiltered internet through Starlink, defying state restrictions despite the service not being officially approved in the country.
The U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and removed him from the country following a major strike on Caracas, a move that sent shockwaves across the world. President Donald Trump has expressed interest in Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, saying major U.S. oil companies would be allowed to enter the country and could invest billions of dollars in repairing its dilapidated infrastructure and boosting production. He said that revenues from increased oil output could help offset costs and lead to large-scale international sales of Venezuelan crude.
In response, the U.N. Security Council is expected to hold a meeting on Jan. 6 to discuss the legality of the U.S. action, as several countries, including U.S. allies such as Brazil and Spain, have condemned the military intervention.