McCain promotes free trade on visit to Colombia

By Jeff Mason

CARTAGENA, Colombia (Reuters) - U.S. Republican presidential candidate John McCain promoted free trade on Wednesday on a visit to Colombia he was using to subtly score political points against Democrat Barack Obama.

McCain's push for congressional approval of a stalled U.S.-Colombian free trade agreement carried political risks, as voters in battleground states like Ohio and Michigan have been disenchanted by U.S. policies that have permitted manufacturers to ship jobs to countries where labor is cheaper.

Taking advantage of a summer lull in the presidential campaign, McCain was on a trip this week to Colombia and Mexico. The Arizona senator visited a hospital and toured a port in Cartagena on Wednesday.

He had left the country for Mexico before Colombia announced it had rescued French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt and three Americans from leftist guerrillas who held them for years in secret jungle camps.

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and his defense minister pulled aside McCain and the two senators traveling with him on Tuesday night to inform them of the planned hostage rescue, a spokesperson on McCain's plane said.

The three learned about the success of the operation from news reports while it was en route to Mexico.

"All three senators would like to congratulate the Colombian government for their successful release of the hostages," a McCain spokeswoman told reporters on the plane.

McCain was joined on his trip by two close Senate colleagues, Independent Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.