Washington/Bogota/Mexico City: The U.S. on Friday imposed sanctions on Colombia n President Gustavo Petro, as President Donald Trump sharply escalated a feud with Washington’s longtime Latin American ally over accusations that Petro has refused to stop the flow of cocaine into the United States.

Tensions between Washington and many countries in the region have been mounting for weeks. The U.S. military has ratcheted up activity in the southern Caribbean, striking vessels in international waters that it has alleged without evidence are carrying drugs. Trump this week called Petro an “illegal drug leader” after the leftist president accused the U.S. of committing “murder” with the strikes.

Petro, whose term will end in 10 months, has always opposed the strikes. He has attempted to end

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