Uruguay's Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin
Uruguay is working discreetly to lower tension "by whatever means, because it helps no one -- it doesn't help any country, it doesn't help the United States, it doesn't help Venezuela, it doesn't help Colombia, it doesn't help any of us," Lubetkin said.
US President Donald Trump has deployed warships within striking distance of Venezuela, and at least 87 people have been killed in at least 22 strikes on boats in the Eastern Pacific and the Caribbean Sea.
Washington has accused Venezuela's leftist leader Nicolas Maduro of leading a drug cartel, which he denies, saying the US seeks regime change and Venezuela's vast stores of oil.
On Wednesday, the US military seized a Venezuelan oil tanker -- with troops rappelling onto the tanker's deck from a helicopter and entering the ship with rifles raised.
Trump recently said he believed Maduro's days were numbered and has refused to rule out boots on the ground.
"We are very concerned because any scenario that raises tensions in the region -- it's a lie that it only affects the country involved -- is a problem for the whole region," Lubetkin added.
Uruguay, located between Brazil and Argentina on the Atlantic Ocean, aims to "help stabilize the region," Lubetkin said.
"The issue of drug trafficking isn't Venezuelan or Colombian -- it concerns all of us because it has grown and created a scenario or instability," he said.
Short link: