Colombian Pres. Alvaro Uribe (R) and US Pres. Barack Obama at the Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain on 18 Apr 2009U.S. President Barack Obama welcomes Colombian President Alvaro Uribe to the White House Monday for talks expected to cover trade, the drug war and the political situation in Honduras.
The Monday meeting comes a day after the president of Honduras, Jose Manuel Zelaya, was ousted from power. Mr. Obama and Mr. Uribe are likely to discuss the repercussions of the crisis and the impact of the situation on neighboring Latin American countries.
The White House has said the two presidents will also discuss the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement and security gains in Colombia, where the government has been engaged for decades in a war involving leftist rebels and rightist paramilitaries.
Many U.S. Democrats, including President Obama, have said they oppose the free trade agreement because of Colombia's often-criticized record on human rights and violence against labor activists.
In May, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said the United States is working to resolve differences on the agreement.
President Uribe has said the trade deal will make his fight against terrorism less difficult, by increasing investment in the country and giving people more opportunity to find high-quality jobs.
Colombia has received billions of dollars from the United States -- mostly in military aid -- since President Uribe has been in office.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.
