Indonesia Urges De-escalation as U.S.-Venezuela Conflict Intensifies

JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that all Indonesian citizens in Venezuela are safe on Saturday, Jan 3, 2026 in Jakarta as the conflict between the United States and Venezuela sharply escalated following U.S. military operations in Caracas, a development that raised diplomatic and legal concerns for Jakarta.

The Foreign Ministry said the Indonesian Embassy in Caracas had intensified monitoring and coordination with citizens on the ground, while urging Indonesians to remain vigilant and maintain close communication with official representatives.

“Currently, all Indonesian citizens in Venezuela are reported to be in a safe condition,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on its official social media account, adding that contingency measures remained in place.

Beyond consular protection, Indonesia adopted a firm diplomatic stance by calling on all parties to de-escalate tensions and pursue peaceful dialogue in line with international law and the United Nations Charter.

The appeal came amid extraordinary claims by U.S. President Donald Trump, who said American forces had captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro during a military operation in the Venezuelan capital.

Trump publicly justified the operation on two main grounds: combating narcotics trafficking and restoring Venezuela’s oil industry, asserting that Maduro led what he described as an international “narco-terrorist” network.

In remarks delivered in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump said most illegal drugs entering the United States via maritime routes originated from Venezuela and accused Maduro of being directly responsible for hundreds of thousands of drug-related deaths in the U.S.

Trump also said Washington planned to involve major American oil companies to rehabilitate Venezuela’s energy infrastructure, while confirming that U.S. forces would remain in the country until what he described as a “safe and orderly transition” of power was completed.

Indonesia has not commented on the substance of Trump’s allegations, but officials stressed that any military action must respect state sovereignty and civilian protection under international law.

Venezuela’s ambassador to Indonesia, Enrique Antonio Acuna Mendoza, condemned the U.S. operation as an unjustified attack and a serious violation of international norms, warning that it threatened regional stability in Latin America and the Caribbean.

International reactions quickly followed, with Russia, China, Iran, and several Latin American countries denouncing the operation as an act of aggression, while the United Nations expressed deep concern over the precedent set by unilateral military intervention.

For Indonesia, the crisis underscores a broader principle in its foreign policy: the primacy of peaceful conflict resolution and respect for international law, particularly at a time when global geopolitical tensions are already straining the world’s security and energy systems.

Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, and prolonged instability there risks adding pressure to already volatile global energy markets, a development closely watched by emerging economies such as Indonesia.

Jakarta signaled it would continue monitoring the situation closely, balancing the immediate priority of protecting Indonesian nationals with its longstanding diplomatic commitment to multilateralism and global legal order.