The Great Oil Seizure

It was the ultimate power move. A nation standing on a sea of black gold,

deciding it was time to take it all back. Venezuela sat on the world's largest

reserves. But for decades, foreign giants held the keys to the kingdom.

Then came the decree. Overnight, the government deployed the military to

seize control of multi-billion dollar fields. Exxon and ConocoPhillips watched as their massive investments vanished

into the state's hands. They packed up and left. But taking the

oil was the easy part. Managing it was a different story entirely.

Without foreign technology and capital, the world's largest oil giant began to crumble from