For more than 40 years, Venezuela was the largest oil exporter in the world. Oil consumption became central to first the United States' economy and then Europe's all while Mexico nationalized its huge oil resources. It could be quite easy to say that the picture of Venezuela you have is of a semi-colonial country dominated by these foreign companies under the umbrella of the protection of the U.S., says Juan Vicente Gomez. I think this image of a very nationalistic Mexico, on the other hand, of a Semi-colonized Venezuela ... it's a bit more complex for various reasons.