(Adds Uribe's remarks with protesters, AFL-CIO comment)

By Doug Palmer

WASHINGTON, May 2 (Reuters) - Colombian President Alvaro Uribe -- with help from President George W. Bush -- began a three-day campaign on Wednesday to convince U.S. lawmakers to provide more military and anti-narcotics aid and approve a controversial trade deal.

Uribe defended his government's efforts to rein in paramilitary groups and reduce murders of union members, but said Colombia was willing to do more to persuade the Democratic-led U.S. Congress to pass the agreement.

"We are ready to improve whatever we have to improve," Uribe told the Council of Americas, which represents companies doing business in the Western Hemisphere. "My government needs every day to apologize for mistakes, never for crimes, because our fight is to get Colombia rid of crimes."

The Colombian leader is under scrutiny in Congress as he fends off a scandal linking several of his lawmaker-supporters to the militias, which have been accused of drug trafficking and massacres during their war with left-wing guerrillas.

Uribe, one of Bush's staunchest allies in South America, said the killings and kidnappings had been reduced during his administration and the number of successful prosecutions had risen.

He said the paramilitary scandal had only come to light because of steps his government had taken to end what he called terrorism in Colombia. He denied any personal involvement.

"My government has not created alliances with criminal groups to defeat other criminals," Uribe said.

He warned that rejecting the trade agreement would send a negative signal at a time when many countries in Latin America are questioning the benefits of free trade and engagement with the United States.

Bush made the same argument earlier at the White House.

SIGNALING SUPPORT

"These agreements are more than just trade votes. They are signals to South America that we stand with nations that are willing to make hard decisions on behalf of the people," Bush said at a news conference with Uribe.

The two presidents held a working breakfast at the White House to discuss strategy before the Colombian leader began a three-day push to persuade Congress to approve the free trade agreement and another $600 million in aid.

Uribe will meet on Thursday with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, following meetings with other lawmakers and AFL-CIO labor federation President John Sweeney, one the trade deal's fiercest critics.

Democrats, like House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, with a history of supporting trade deals are expected to insist on tough new provisions aimed at protecting workers from violence to win their support for the Colombia agreement.

Even then, the pact will be a tough sell for many party members with strong ties to labor groups.

"There is no labor language that could be inserted into the U.S.-Colombia FTA that could adequately address the extraordinary -- and unpunished -- violence confronting trade unionists in that country," Sweeney said in a statement after meeting with Uribe.

About 50 protesters from union and advocacy groups marched and waved signs -- some calling Uribe and Bush "murderers" -- outside a building where Uribe was to speak. Uribe stopped on the sidewalk to talk to them and John Garces, a 28 year-old Colombian whose father was a unionist killed in the civil conflict, called him "assassin."

"The heritage you left to our people is the death of our parents," said Garces, who has been living in exile in the United States since 2001 after receiving death threats.

"Maybe I have made mistakes. Maybe I have to apologize for mistakes, but never for crimes," Uribe replied, adding he is committed to fighting "terrorist" groups.

In a sign of the importance Washington places on its ties to Colombia, Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte will travel there and to Ecuador, Peru and Panama, May 7-12 to discuss pending trade agreements, energy issues and regional cooperation, the U.S. State Department said. (Additional reporting by Steve Holland, Missy Ryan and Adriana Garcia)

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