President Gustavo Petro's legal team in the United States plans to challenge the sanctions imposed by the United States, according to what American lawyer Dan Kovalik, whom the Colombian President designated as his litigating representative in the case, confirmed to NBC News in an interview with journalist Raquel Coronell Uribe.

Kovalik, in statements to the aforementioned media outlet, stated that the administration of former President Donald Trump took action against Petro for"purely political reasons."

The lawyer cited the Colombian president's support for the pro-Palestinian cause and his opposition to military intervention in Venezuela as factors.

"That's what this is about. It's not about anything else, and we're going to challenge it," Kovalik said, though he acknowledged that he hasn't yet decided which legal forum the case will be filed in.

Studies defamation lawsuit against Trump

Attorney Kovalik also indicated that President Gustavo Petro is considering filing a defamation lawsuit against Trump. According to Kovalik, the jurisdiction for this case would"probably be Florida."

The jurist revealed that "even before the OFAC designation, we were considering filing a defamation lawsuit against Trump, and we're looking into that as well. So yes, we do believe this is defamatory, of course," he said.

Kovalik's announcement comes after President Petro appointed him as his legal representative in response to US sanctions.