Indonesia’s Prabowo seeks cheap oil in Russia amid global energy crisis: A symptom of neocolonial energy dependency and systemic extraction

Indigenous communities in Indonesia’s oil-rich regions (e.g., Riau, Papua) have long resisted land grabs by state-backed corporations like Pertamina, framing oil extraction as a violation of ancestral land rights and spiritual cosmologies. Their struggles are erased in favor of state narratives of ‘development,’ despite evidence that extractivism deepens poverty and environmental degradation. Traditional ecological knowledge, such as the Dayak’s forest management systems, offers low-carbon alternatives to industrial energy systems.

Indonesia’s energy dependency traces back to Dutch colonial extraction (e.g., the *cultuurstelsel* system) and post-independence nationalization under Sukarno, which was later dismantled by Suharto’s crony capitalism and IMF structural adjustment in the 1990s. The 1973 oil crisis and OPEC’s rise created temporary leverage, but neoliberal reforms in the 1990s privatized energy sectors, leaving Indonesia vulnerable to global price shocks. Similar patterns unfolded in Nigeria, Venezuela, and Iraq, where resource wealth became a curse due to external exploitation and internal corruption.

In Latin America, resource nationalism (e.g., Bolivia’s gas nationalization) often led to short-term gains but long-term instability due to corporate retaliation and U.S. intervention, mirroring risks for Indonesia’s Prabowo. African nations like Algeria and Angola show how oil wealth can fuel corruption and conflict without benefiting citizens, while countries like Costa Rica or Bhutan demonstrate that renewable energy transitions are possible without fossil fuel dependency. Asian examples like Vietnam’s solar boom or Thailand’s community energy cooperatives offer replicable models.

Studies show that fossil fuel dependency correlates with higher poverty rates in Global South nations due to price volatility and revenue leakage to multinational corporations (IMF, 2022). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that continued oil dependence will lock Indonesia into high-emission pathways, exacerbating climate vulnerability. Peer-reviewed research on ‘resource curse’ dynamics (e.g., Ross, 2012) demonstrates how oil wealth correlates with authoritarianism, inequality, and conflict, undermining the narrative of ‘cheap oil’ as a solution.

Indonesian artists like Tisna Sanjaya and Eko Nugroho critique extractivism through surrealist and batik-inspired works, framing oil as a ‘black blood’ draining the land’s vitality. Spiritual traditions like Sufism and Balinese Hinduism view natural resources as divine gifts requiring stewardship, contrasting with the commodification driving Prabowo’s energy quest. In Russia, dissident artists like Pussy Riot have linked fossil fuel extraction to state violence, offering a lens to critique Putin’s role in enabling such deals.

Scenario modeling by the International Energy Agency (IEA) shows that Indonesia could meet 70% of its energy needs via renewables by 2040 with targeted investments, reducing poverty by 15% through job creation in solar/wind sectors. A ‘Just Transition’ framework, as piloted in South Africa, could redirect fossil fuel subsidies to community-owned microgrids, but requires IMF debt relief and corporate accountability. Geopolitical models suggest that ASEAN energy solidarity (e.g., shared gas pipelines, regional renewable grids) could reduce dependency on both Russia and the West.

Indonesian labor unions (e.g., KSPI) and peasant movements (e.g., Serikat Petani Indonesia) warn that Prabowo’s oil deals will deepen inequality, as subsidies benefit elites while rural communities face price hikes. Women’s groups in oil-producing regions report increased gender-based violence linked to extractive industries, a link documented in UN Women reports. Migrant workers in Malaysia and Gulf states, who remit funds to Indonesian families, are disproportionately affected by global oil price shocks, yet their voices are absent in geopolitical narratives.