Tesla chief executive Elon Musk has thrown his weight behind Venezuelans after SpaceX-owned Starlink announced it would provide free broadband internet services in the country for a limited period.
Musk made the remark on X while reposting Starlink’s announcement on the initiative.
He wrote, “In support of the people of Venezuela.”
In the reposted message, Starlink said, “Starlink is providing free broadband service to the people of Venezuela through February 3, ensuring continued connectivity.”
The development comes a day after United States President Donald Trump released the first image of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro following his capture by U.S. forces during a midnight operation.
The image showed the ousted Venezuelan leader handcuffed and blindfolded aboard a U.S. warship.
“Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were reportedly arrested at their residence on a military base before being flown to a U.S. warship en route to New York, where they are expected to face federal charges over an alleged “narco-terrorism” conspiracy.
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Their arrest followed what was described as a “large-scale strike” across Venezuela, with explosions reported in Caracas and several other cities. The Maduro administration condemned the operation as an “imperialist attack” and an “extremely serious military aggression,” declaring a state of emergency and calling on citizens to protest.
Speaking on Saturday during an appearance on “Fox and Friends Weekend,” Trump said Maduro and his wife were apprehended at the presidential palace and transported by helicopter to a U.S. warship.
Trump said Maduro had been “highly guarded” inside the palace, which he described as “like a fortress,” noting that it contained a secure steel-reinforced room. He added that U.S. forces were prepared to force entry using “massive blowtorches” if necessary.
“He didn’t get that space closed,” Trump said, adding that U.S. troops had rehearsed the operation using a replica of the building.
According to Trump, the raid was executed at night, with U.S. forces switching off “almost all of the lights in Caracas.”