The struggle for control of Venezuela is not only about securing the military's support or holding the streets. It is also about how much of the country's dwindling financial resources President Nicolas Maduro can keep his hands on.
With debt rising dramatically and reserves diminishing fast, here is a snapshot of the Maduro administration's financial lifelines.
Oil
• Representing the overwhelming majority of Venezuela's income, oil production plummeted to 1.22 million barrels per day in December, half the level of three years ago. Output is expected to fall another 33 percent in 2019, according to Fitch.
• The biggest takers of Venezuelan crude in December were the U.S., India and China, according to fixture reports and ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.
• The U.S. on Monday announced sanctions on Venezuela's state-owned oil company, PDVSA.
• Freezing of U.S. and European accounts is likely to bring oil production to a standstill and cause the economy to contract by 26.4 percent in 2019, Torino Chief Economist Francisco Rodriguez wrote.
Gold
• Gold reserves plunged to $5.45 billion in November from $6.76 billion in July, and from $21.27 billion in September 2011, according to Caracas Capital, an investment bank and financial consultancy.
• Accessing Venezuela's gold reserves overseas is becoming increasingly difficult for Maduro, as shown by the Bank of England's decision to deny a withdrawal request.
