Richard Trumka is "deeply troubled." So declares the president of the AFL-CIO in a statement issued today on the "U.S.-Columbia [sic] Free Trade Agreement." As readers of these columns know, this accord would create good American jobs, bolster an important ally, and confirm that America is unwilling to cede its leadership in trade.

Trumka disagrees. "We are deeply troubled by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s remarks on June 9th," laments Trumka. "She pledged to begin a ‘very intensive effort’ to pass the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement."

Good for her! But she’s not alone. As the Washington Post editorialized today, the victory of Juan Manuel Santos in Colombia’s peaceful and democratic presidential election last Sunday "demonstrated that pro-American, pro-free-market politicians still have life in Latin America… [Santos] has rejected the authoritarian socialism of Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez. A former journalist with degrees from the University of Kansas and Harvard, he values free media and independent courts."

How can the United States extend a hand to President-elect Santos? The Post has a suggestion: "Ratification of the free-trade agreement would serve the administration’s stated goal of boosting U.S. exports while bolstering a nation that could be an anchor for democracy and political moderation in the region. It would also allow the administration and Congress to demonstrate that friends of the United States will be supported and not scorned in Washington."

Trumka disagrees. He declares that it is "premature to talk of passing the trade agreement before there is evidence of sustained and substantial advancement on labor and human rights... [and] significant progress to halt the violence against trade unionists."

But the Post notes that "murders have fallen by 45 percent and kidnappings by 90 percent" during the administration of outgoing President Alvaro Uribe. In fact, homicide rates are nearly three times higher in the United States (5.4 per 100,000) than among Colombian labor union members (1.9 per 100,000). A resident of the District of Columbia is 17 times more likely to be murdered than a Colombian trade unionist.

Or wasn’t that a typo? Perhaps Trumka is arguing the United States should reject free trade with the District of Columbia (where my family and I live). That’s a bad idea too.

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One more thing — last night, Canada’s Senate gave final approval to the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement. For months, the U.S. Chamber and others have warned that the Canada-Colombia FTA will put U.S. workers and farmers at a marked competitive disadvantage in Colombia. Canadian wheat farmers will be able to sell their crop to Colombians at a discount, and Canadian manufacturers will be better able to undercut their U.S. competitors in the Colombian market.

Unfortunately, this scenario is already unfolding. Following implementation of a new trade accord between Colombia and Mercosur, the U.S. share of Colombia’s market for soybean meal, yellow corn, and wheat dropped by 67%, 53%, and 37%, respectively, in 2008-2009.

So I do have one thing in common with Trumka. I, too, am deeply troubled.