Crude nationreveals the ways in which this mismanagement has led to venezuelas economic ruin and turned the country into a cautionary tale for the world raul gallegos a former caracas based oil correspondent paints a picture both vivid and analytical of the countrys economic decline the governments foolhardy economic policies and the wrecked lives of venezuelanswithout transparency the venezuelan government uses oil money to subsidize life for its citizens in myriad unsustainable . The title is crude nation how oil riches ruined venezuela notice it isnt called how hugo chavez and nicolas maduro ruined venezuela the books thesis is that venezuela never was able to cope with the insane wealth emanating from its oil reserves. Crude nation reveals the ways in which this mismanagement has led to venezuelas economic ruin and turned the country into a cautionary tale for the world raul gallegos a former caracas based oil correspondent paints a picture both vivid and analytical of the countrys economic decline the governments foolhardy economic policies . Download citation crude nation how oil riches ruined venezuela beneath venezuelan soil lies an ocean of crude the worlds largest reserves an oil patch that shaped the nature of the global