Trump's announcement to suspend his million-dollar aid to Colombia after accusing Petro of being a "drug trafficking leader" stirred the debate among the left-wing official pre-candidates and the right-wing opposition in view of the 2026 elections.
It also raised concerns among influential businessmen in the political sphere, who fear a tariff blow from their main commercial partner.
"Petro is seeking a confrontation with Washington and is looking for a benefit for the October 26th Pacto Histórico party consultation," explains Theodore Kahn, director of global risk analysis at Control Risks in Bogotá, to AFP.
The first left-wing president in Colombia's history appeals to defending sovereignty and nationalist arguments amid the worst crisis between historically allied countries.
His opponents aim to take power away from him, criticizing him for unnecessarily provoking Trump and being lenient with narco organizations amidst failed peace negotiations.
In an escalation of tensions, Petro called his ambassador in Washington for consultations and denounced a threat of invasion.
Trump had demanded Colombia to eradicate narcocultivation "immediately" or else he hinted at shutting them down, "not in a good way."
Petro's movement will define internally on Sunday who will be his candidates for 2026. The president cannot run for re-election because in Colombia there is no re-election.