US imposes sanctions on left-wing Colombian president Gustavo Petro

Washington has accused Gustavo Petro of allowing drug cartels to flourish during his time in office.

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The decision is the latest in a growing diplomatic dispute between the Latin American nation's first left-wing leader and his US counterpart Donald Trump.

The two have clashed over US strikes on boats it says are being used to smuggle drugs, killing dozens including some Colombian nationals. Trump has said other nations had failed to stop the boats, while Petro has accused him of "murder".

Colombia was once a close ally of Washington's war on drugs, receiving hundreds of millions of dollars annually in military assistance to counter drug gangs.

The US also trains Colombian narcotics agents - something the Trump administration has said it will continue to support.