Washington [US], January 4: Billionaire Elon Musk on Sunday expressed support for the people of Venezuela as SpaceX-owned Starlink announced it would provide free broadband internet services in the country for a limited period, as Venezuela remains gripped by rapidly unfolding political developments.
In a post on X, Musk wrote, “In support of the people of Venezuela,” while reposting a message from Starlink outlining the initiative.
In the reposted statement, Starlink said it is providing free broadband service to the people of Venezuela through February 3 to ensure continued connectivity.
The announcement came amid dramatic developments following the removal of President Nicolás Maduro by the United States. Video released by US authorities showed the captured Venezuelan leader in handcuffs during a staged perp walk.
In the footage, Maduro was seen wishing reporters and Drug Enforcement Administration agents a Happy New Year and good night as he was led into custody.
As events continued to unfold, Venezuela’s Supreme Court moved to address the leadership vacuum by ordering Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to assume the powers and duties of acting president after Maduro’s removal, CNN reported.
The ruling, announced late Saturday local time, concluded that Maduro is in a “material and temporary impossibility to exercise his functions.”
According to the order, read by Justice Tania D’Amelio during a session broadcast on state television channel VTV, Rodríguez will “assume and exercise, as acting president, all the powers, duties, and faculties inherent to the office of president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in order to guarantee administrative continuity and the comprehensive defense of the nation,” CNN reported.
The court cited Venezuela’s constitution, which states that in cases of temporary or absolute absence of the president, executive authority passes to the vice president.
Additional background on the situation was provided by former US National Security Advisor John Bolton. Speaking to CNN, Bolton said that a plan to remove Maduro had been presented to President Donald Trump during his first term but failed to advance because administration officials were unable to keep the president “focused” on the issue.
Bolton said Trump was “very interested in the Venezuelan oil” at the time and that while his team succeeded in engaging him on the idea of removing Maduro, they “couldn’t keep him focused on it.”
He added that members of Venezuela’s opposition believed sustained economic pressure would be sufficient to fracture Maduro’s regime.
According to CNN, the United States later launched what Trump described as a “large-scale strike against Venezuela” and captured Maduro to face charges, carrying out the regime change operation without congressional approval. (ANI)
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