A motorcade carrying Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro leaving the Westside Heliport on Jan 3, 2026, in New York. - AFP
JAKARTA: Indonesia has joined a growing number of countries expressing concern over the sanctity of international law following the United States’ seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, which Washington said would be followed by a temporary American control over the oil-rich country.
The Foreign Ministry in Jakarta said it was closely monitoring developments in Venezuela after the US captured Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in an operation that involved air strikes on military installations in the capital Caracas on Saturday morning local time.
“Indonesia urges all relevant parties to prioritize peaceful resolution through deescalation and dialogue, while prioritizing the protection of civilians,” the ministry said on X on Saturday.
The ministry added that Indonesia “emphasizes the importance of respecting international law and the principles of the UN [United Nations] Charter” in response to the US operation.
The statement came shortly after the US Special Forces conducted its overnight raid and flew Maduro and his wife to New York on Saturday evening to face drug-trafficking charges.
According to preliminary assessments, at least 40 people, including civilians and Venezuelan military personnel, were killed during the operation, The New York Times reported, citing an anonymous Venezuelan senior official.
The ministry in Jakarta, meanwhile, said that all Indonesian citizens in Venezuela were safe. It urged Indonesians to “remain calm, increase vigilance and maintain continuous communication” with the Indonesian Embassy in Caracas.
US President Donald Trump lauded the operation and noted that the US would assume temporary control of Venezuela. His administration has previously accused Maduro of rigging the 2024 Venezuelan election and running a “narco-state”.
“We will run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition," Trump said during a press conference on Saturday, Reuters reported.
“We can't take a chance that someone else takes over Venezuela who doesn't have the interests of Venezuelans in mind.”
Trump further said major US oil companies would move into Venezuela, which holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, to rehabilitate its badly degraded oil infrastructure. The US used to be the main buyer of Venezuelan oil but since the introduction of sanctions, China has become the main destination in the last decade.
The Saturday operation marked one of the US’ most direct interventions in Latin America in decades, raising concerns among governments and experts over the use of force against a state’s territorial integrity or political independence as stipulated in the UN Charter.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged on Sunday a similar call with Indonesia for “dialogue and diplomacy” to prevent escalation, while reaffirming support for international law and “a peaceful, democratic transition in Venezuela that reflects the will of the Venezuelan people.”
Malaysia took a firmer stance, with its foreign ministry stating that it “opposes all forms of foreign intervention in the internal affairs of other states, as well as the threat or use of force.”
Balancing act? standing free and active foreign policy, which seeks to avoid alignment with major powers while upholding international norms.
Former foreign minister Dino Patti Djalal noted, however, that the current escalation involving the US would serve as “a test for the free and active foreign policy” Indonesia has upheld in its principles.
“Strong countries [now] feel entitled to take ‘whatever I want’ actions against other nations. This is a sign that we are entering a dangerous world order,” Dino said on X on Saturday.
International law expert Hikmahanto Juwana of the University of Indonesia said Jakarta’s position deliberately avoided two extreme points of stances.
“This stance does not condemn the US outright like Latin American countries, Russia and China have done,” he said on Sunday.
“But it also does not justify US actions that clearly violate Article 2 Paragraph 4 of the UN Charter, as France has said.”
Maduro Hikmahanto added that Indonesia’s statement could open space for President Prabowo Subianto to position himself as a mediator or peace broker within multilateral forums.
Unlike Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who sternly called for Maduro and his wife “to be released without any undue delay” on Sunday, Prabowo has yet to issue any personal statement on the conflict.
Jakarta and Washington have maintained generally cordial relations under Prabowo, who has sought to keep channels open with Trump amid ongoing discussions over US tariff measures. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
