TV (partially obscured): In Venezuela... arrested... by America
Father: Eh, abducted for no good reason, it's like in an American film, yeah
Mother: It looks in fact like it's not a film at all.
Poki: It's a good thing America doesn't like palm oil, yeah?
Cat. Shush!
Despite repeated claims that foreign powers are trying to steal Indonesia's natural resources and warning people of foreign interference in the country, President Prabowo Subianto has been conspicuously silent on the January 3 abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Madura.
Responding to the abduction, Indonesia was quick to call for dialogue and expressed "grave concerns" over the use of force, but did not explicitly mention the United States or President Donald Trump, and shied away from criticising the action that clearly violates international law.
When asked to comment on criticisms that Indonesia has been too soft on the US and calls for Jakarta to condemn Washington, Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang said that Indonesia had been "clear" with its position.
"We express deep concern over any action involving the use or threat of force ... because it is not only dangerous, but also disrupts stability. Indonesia chooses to take a stance based on international law", Mewengkang told a press briefing in Jakarta on January 8.
"Including universal principles enshrined in the UN charter and international humanitarian law, not for the rhetoric that can worsen the situation as we push for de-escalation, dialogue, and protection of civilians", she added.
Maduro's abduction took place just a few weeks before the scheduled signing of a tariff agreement between Indonesia and the US. Bilateral trade with the US reached nearly US$36.2 billion in January-October 2025, and one of the key items Indonesia is seeking to obtain zero tariffs on is palm oil
Indonesia controls about 89 percent of the US palm oil market with Malaysia as its main competitor. Malaysian palm oil has entered the US market tariff-free since October, while a 19 percent tariff on Indonesian palm oil officially took effect on August 7.
Asked at the press briefing whether Indonesia was holding back in the hope of obtaining favourable treatment in the tariffs negotiations, Mewengkang said only that, "I don't want to speculate on that".
