ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on petroleum in Mexico and to a lesser extent other important forms of energy, including natural gas and electricity. It looks at the origin and present status of the petroleum resource. The chapter explores that the tension between autonomy and dependence of petroleum in Mexico. It compares Mexico's situation as a world producer from Latin America with that of its producing counterpart Venezuela. The chapter analyzes Mexico's petroleum situation in the context of world systems theory including its regional elements. It examines the energy sector in Mexico and its relationship to the global economy. Along with Mexico's large energy resource and increasing production are environmental problems aggravated by their use. Foreign firms must be included in assessing the environmental costs and cleaning up the environmental damages from the energy sector. The large US consumption is in synchrony with late 20th century US energy policy, which favors supply of petroleum from non-middle eastern nations.
