Norberto Paredes

Maracaibo used to be the wealthy heart of Venezuela's old boom, but decades of mismanagement have hit it hard.

Now it feels like a symbol of a country that has declined.

People here are desperate for the political stability and the investment to bring Maracaibo back to life.

Getting ready for a trip out on the city's lake, these fishermen are being hit by both the economic downturn and the pollution caused by the decaying oil industry.

Carlos used to be able to pull in big catches.

Despite the removal of his president by Donald Trump, he's ready for American investment and the oil to start flowing once more.

In a nearby neighborhood, 93-year-old Jose is talking about his old job at the state-owned oil company.

He's keen to show us a special edition Dodge car he bought in the boom years of the 1970s.

But like many of the homes here, it's now a faded reminder of how things used to be.

Everything has changed.

The streets in this area could be straight out of a 1960s American suburb International oil companies, many with US links, built whole neighborhoods for the workers But today, many of these houses stand empty and some have been looted

Analysts say it could take tens of billions of dollars and potentially a decade to restore Venezuela's oil output to what it once was.

There is still uncertainty over the U.S.

's long-term plans.

Juan Romero is a local member of parliament for the governing Socialist Party.

He says there is still anger over the U.S.

sanctions and military action that have hit the country.

Venezuela has just passed a new law giving foreign companies far greater access to its oil industry.

This has been a key demand of the Trump White House.

But for many people here, unlocking the country's vast oil wealth still feels a long way off.