When President Prabowo Subianto declared that Portuguese should be taught in schools, the announcement came draped in diplomatic symbolism. Delivered during the state visit of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the Merdeka Palace, it was a flourish designed to project Indonesia’s global ambition — a gesture of friendship toward Brazil and a subtle signal that Prabowo seeks to reorient Indonesia’s diplomacy toward the Global South. To subscribe please click here
