Of all the foreign policy challenges facing President-elect Donald Trump, one is unraveling close to the borders of the United States.

Venezuela is in the midst of the deepest economic and political crisis in its history. The opposition said President Nicolas Maduro is violating the constitution. Maduro said the United States is plotting to remove him from power.

CGTN’s Stephen Gibbs sent this report from Caracas.

Many see Venezuela as the crisis that the next president of the United States will not be able to ignore.

Add to that the fact that President, Nicolas Maduro, blames many of the problems he and his country face, on the United States.

He has repeatedly accused what he calls the “empire” to the north, of orchestrating efforts to destabilize his socialist government. The U.S. said the suggestions are baseless.

So will relations get better, or worse under President Trump

The tycoon has, to date, not been specific about his plans for Venezuela-beyond saying in a campaign rally that he will “stand with” what he describes as its “oppressed people.”

On Monday, Maduro vowed to be “prudent” in his relations with the incoming president.

The Venezuela leader, who often accused the world’s media of treating him unfairly, then offered what almost seemed like sympathy, to his American counterpart.

Some parallels have been drawn between the populist style of Trump, and that of Maduro’s mentor and predecessor, the late Hugo Chavez.

Relations between the U.S. and Venezuela in the coming months are not expected to be easy. But neither are they entirely predictable.