In what at this point can only be assumed to be part of a quest to inflame chaos and disorder the world over, the Trump administration has in recent months imposed a series of sanctions against Venezuela, a country in the midst of a months-long political crisis.

The official rationale for the sanctions are the government’s “serious abuses of human rights,” repression of political opposition, dissolution of its elected parliament, and its role in the country’s humanitarian crisis. But given President Trump’s comments that he may decide on a “military option” to settle things in the country, along with the fact that Venezuela poses no threat to the United States, it’s safe to assume such sanctions are meant to help along the removal of Venezuela’s government.

Back in July, the Trump administration made it illegal for US individuals and companies to do business with the financial chief of PDVSA, Venezuela’s state-run oil and natural gas company. Then in August, it placed restrictions on the trading of Venezuelan bonds that the government sells in US financial markets to raise cash, and prohibited Citgo, PDVSA’s US subsidiary, from sending profits back home. In addition, financial sanctions have targeted twenty individuals close to the government, including Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro.