CARACAS, VENEZUELA: President Nicolas Maduro's supporters and opponents will stage rallies on Wednesday in Venezuela's increasingly violent political standoff and economic crisis.
Here are five key players in a crisis that has raised international fears about the stability of the South American oil exporter:
Maduro
Elected in 2013 to succeed his late mentor Hugo Chavez, Maduro has faced rising pressure due to food and medicine shortages aggravated by plunging oil prices.
The socialist president, a 54-year-old former bus driver, holds power with control of almost all the state institutions.
Capriles
Narrowly beaten by Maduro in the last election, lawyer Henrique Capriles, 44, is the most visible face of the center-right opposition's efforts to oust the president -- though authorities recently banned Capriles from politics for 15 years.
Capriles has called Maduro a dictator and a "monstrosity." Maduro calls Capriles a capitalist coup-plotter and dismisses him with the homophobic insult "Capriloca."
Padrino
Military support is a key pillar of Maduro's government. Political analyst Benigno Alarcon said Maduro has "bought the loyalty" of the commanders.
Venezuela's defense minister, General Vladimir Padrino Lopez, 53, on Monday declared the army's "unconditional loyalty" to Maduro.
Almagro
Leftist allies such as Cuba and Bolivia have defended Maduro. The United States and other international powers have voiced concern about democracy under his leadership.
His most vocal international critic is Luis Almagro, the Uruguayan secretary general of the Organization of American States. He has branded Maduro a dictator and called for sanctions.
Creditors
Despite the crisis, Venezuela has avoided defaulting on its debts to key creditors such as China and Russia.
Currently any deals to raise cash from foreign investors, including oil contracts, are supposed to be approved by the opposition-controlled legislature.
The Maduro camp's bid to get around that requirement, by stripping the legislature's powers, triggered the latest wave of protests.
Russian state oil company Rosneft "seems less concerned about questions of legality stemming from the opposition's refusal to approve new loans," analysts at the Eurasia consultancy cautioned in a note on April 6.
"The latter does seem to be a sticking point for the Chinese."