Colombia is shaping up to be the diciest stop for Prime Minister Stephen Harper on his wide-ranging trip to South America and the Caribbean next week.

The government of President Alvaro Uribe is embroiled in a scandal in which several senators and congressional representatives have been linked to some of the country's violent paramilitary groups.

What's more, while Uribe has made some progress in making the country saferof late, it's all relative.

In 2006, almost 1,500 people were killed or injured by landmines and 687 people were kidnapped — down from 1440 in 2004.

Still, despite the continued unrest, the Harper government recently announced its intention to start negotiating a free trade deal with Colombia.

Talks have yet to start, but senior government officials say it's likely the topic will come up on Monday when Harper meets with Uribe.

On the trade front, Harper is to participate in a roundtable discussion on corporate social responsibility.

He has also scheduled a visit to a centre providing protheses, physical rehabilitation and psychological counselling to landmine victims.