Washington DC - The head of the Organization of American States on Tuesday urged the US and Venezuela to de-escalate their tensions, saying the region does not want a war.

A major US military buildup near Venezuela has led to increased speculation in recent days that President Donald Trump is planning to try to topple Venezuela's strongman Nicolas Maduro, whom he accuses of heading a drug cartel.

Speaking at a virtual press conference Tuesday, OAS chief Albert Ramdin emphasized his support for the fight against organized crime but insisted that it be conducted in accordance with international law.

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Washington has deployed the world's largest aircraft carrier to the Caribbean, accompanied by a flotilla of warships, officially for anti-drug operations, specifically targeting Venezuela.

It has also conducted some 20 airstrikes against suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, killing at least 83 people. Washington has yet to provide concrete evidence that its targets were smuggling narcotics or posed a threat to the US.

Trump has authorized covert CIA operations in Venezuela and reiterated that he does not rule out military intervention, while at the same time saying he is ready for dialogue with Maduro.

"We don't want any war in our hemisphere. Peace is truly, ultimately, what everyone in this hemisphere wants. No one wins in a war," Ramdin said, adding that he is "not in favor of any incident leading to an escalation of a war-like situation."

"We must maintain the hemisphere as a zone of peace," Suriname's former foreign minister went on. "I hope that both countries, Venezuela and the United States, will exercise restraint and ensure that other avenues can be found diplomatically, through negotiations, to resolve their problems."

Caracas claims that the US anti-drugs campaign in the region is a pretext to overthrow Maduro and seize the country's oil reserves.