Colombian President Alvaro Uribe is in Washington in an effort to win support for a new trade deal and continued support for Plan Colombia. The U.S. has given Colombia more than $5 billion since 2000. Some Democratic lawmakers and human rights groups have urged the Bush administration to reconsider its ties to the Colombian government following disclosures linking it to right-wing paramilitary death squads. Last month, Senator Patrick Leahy blocked the release of $55 million in aid because of Colombia’s human rights record. On Wednesday, President Bush urged Congress to OK the agreements.

President Bush: “This agreement is good for the United States. It’s good for job creators, farmers, workers. This agreement is good for Colombia. It’s good for job creators and workers and farmers. This agreement has strategic implications. It is very important for this nation to stand with democracies that protect human rights and human dignity, democracies based upon the rule of law.”

The Colombian government has hired the lobbying firm The Glover Park Group in effort to win congressional support. The lobbying firm has close ties to the Democratic Party. Its founders include former Clinton White House spokesperson Joe Lockhart and several former strategists of Al Gore.