Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has shut down critics of its official response to the US strike on Venezuela, after Jakarta shied away from condemning Washington.

Governments across the globe quickly reacted after the US captured Venezuela's now-ousted leader, Nicolas Maduro, over the weekend. Indonesia rushed to call for dialogue and expressed "grave concerns" over the use of force, but did not explicitly mention the US or its president, Donald Trump. Former Deputy Foreign Minister Dino Patti Djalal had slammed the "very standard" wording, urging Jakarta to criticize Washington without hesitation.

Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman Yvonne Mewengkang said Thursday that Indonesia had been "clear" with its position when asked to comment on Dino's criticisms.

"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 chose to take a stance based on international law," Yvonne told a press briefing in Jakarta.

"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," Yvonne said.

Asked whether Indonesia was holding back because of the US tariffs, Yvonne only said: "I don't want to speculate on that."

Maduro's abduction took place just a few weeks before the scheduled signing of Indonesia's tariff pact. When Trump threatened to raise import tax on Indonesian goods last April, President Prabowo Subianto immediately ordered his officials to convince the White House to drop the tariffs. After months-long negotiations, both Prabowo and Trump are set to sign the trade agreement in Washington later this month. State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi recently said that the Venezuela crisis did not affect the tariff talks, even saying that everything "remained on schedule".

Prabowo has yet to make a personal comment on Maduro's overthrow. In a recent video statement, Dino Patti Djalal urged Indonesia to "speak critically, candidly, and freely to the US government", just like how Jakarta was a vocal critic of Washington's Iraq invasion.

"Among partners, there is always room for healthy criticism," Dino said.

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/indonesia-shuts-down-critics-of-usvenezuela-stance-tightlipped-on-tarif