19:59 GMT
Norberto Paredes
BBC Mundo, reporting from Caracas
Venezuela’s economy depends heavily on oil.
For decades, crude exports were the main source of dollars coming into the country, helping to pay for imports like food, fuel, and medicine.
But years of mismanagement, falling production, and international sanctions have sharply reduced that income.
The Trump administration argues that controlling access to Venezuelan oil is necessary to stabilise the country.
However, critics say that external control risks deepening hardship for ordinary Venezuelans, who are already struggling with inflation and a weakened currency.
Some economic projections paint a stark picture: the International Monetary Fund predicts that inflation could rise to around 680% in 2026 if current pressures persist. That was before the events of last weekend.
Food and services have all become more expensive, even since then.
For most Venezuelans, negotiating rising food bills and coping with fluctuating exchange rates is part of daily life.