Mass. governor to lead trade mission to Colombia

BOSTON (AP) -- Gov. Deval Patrick will be leading a Massachusetts trade mission to Colombia.

Patrick, his wife, Diane, and the delegation of government and business leaders plan to leave on Saturday for the South American nation and return to Boston on Tuesday. The group will stop in several Colombian cities including Bogota and Cartagena.

The governor's office said in a statement Thursday that the mission seeks to strengthen the state's ties to Colobmia's growing innovation, life sciences and clean energy sectors.

The U.S. signed a free trade agreement with Colombia last year that was aimed at opening up a more than $1 billion market for American exports.

In December 2011, Patrick led a trade mission to the South American nations of Brazil and Chile.