Jakarta, August 17.- Under the theme this year "Indonesia Tangguh, Indonesia Grows", the 76th anniversary of its Independence was celebrated, through a virtual platform in a ceremony broadcast live from the Merdeka Palace with the speech of President Joko Widodo .
Due to the great expansion of the current Pandemic, for the second consecutive year the Yakartans did not celebrate public events with Indonesian rituals, but did so from their respective homes, decorating the houses, villages and workplaces with the red and white flag, considering that without massive meetings the meaning of Independence would not be reduced after 300 years of Dutch rule.
This commemoration inevitably reminds us of its founding father, Sukarno, who read the "Proclamation of Independence" for the first time, on August 17, 1945, today known as ¨Jalan Proklamasi¨, in Jalan Pegangsaan Timur (its current capital, Jakarta).
It should be remembered that, under the leadership of President Sukarno, who was the first Head of State to visit Cuba after his revolutionary triumph, our diplomatic relations were established, which this year have reached their 60th Anniversary, overcoming the tests of time and distance.
These historic relationships were forged in the tumultuous decade of the 1960s, based on the friendship and coincidence of principles, between President Sukarno and the Commander-in-Chief, in defense of sovereignty and social justice.
Since then and until today, both nations have maintained a solid friendship and cooperation, based on mutual respect, a will that we intend to maintain, as reflected in the congratulatory messages that the President, Miguel Díaz-Canel, and the Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodríguez, also sent their Indonesian counterparts on this occasion.
Indonesian Independence Day, known locally as Hari Merdeka, is celebrated annually on August 17 to celebrate its declaration of independence from Dutch colonization in 1945.
Embassy of Cuba in Indonesia.