Venezuela authorizes Starlink to operate in country

Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez authorized SpaceX's Starlink to operate in the country on Friday, part of an agreement with the US firm, the Venezuelan government said.

Why it matters: The authorization formalizes the satellite service's footprint months after it offered free access following the US capture of Nicolas Maduro, and it signals a working relationship between Washington-linked tech and the interim government.

Data as of Reuters wire October 9, 2026, read in full via an affiliate reprint; the original Reuters page was not accessible to the page fetcher. The government's statement gives no detail on the agreement's terms; single-sourced.

Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez authorized Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, to operate in the country, the Venezuelan government said in a statement on Friday. The authorization is part of an agreement with the US firm, according to the statement, which did not disclose terms.

The move extends a relationship that began in January, when Starlink offered free access in Venezuela after US forces captured then-president Nicolas Maduro and power and internet went out in parts of Caracas. Rodriguez has led an interim government since the Supreme Court appointed her in Maduro’s absence. The formal operating authorization suggests the two sides are settling into a working arrangement even as the country’s longer-term political future stays unresolved.

Venezuela authorizes Starlink to operate in country

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