Billionaire Elon Musk on Sunday 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, Musk wrote, "In support of the people of Venezuela," while re-posting a message from Starlink outlining the initiative.
Starlink has announced that it will provide free broadband services to people in Venezuela until February 3, following a large-scale military operation launched by the United States against Venezuela early Saturday, which resulted in the seizure of President Maduro and his wife.
The US-based service, owned by billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX, delivers mobile broadband via a network of orbiting satellites.
In a post on X, the company said it pledged “continued connectivity” to Venezuela, a country that is known to grapple with online censorship, with Maduro’s government having previously blocked Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and other platforms in the past.
Metrics from Netblocks show a sudden loss of internet connectivity in parts of Caracas on Saturday, which it said corresponded to “power cuts during the US military operation.”
Local media reports also suggest there is no internet connection in some parts of the capital.
Source: The Economic Times, CNN
Bd-pratidin English/ ANI
