The II Special Olympic Games Latin American Fides start today in Bogota.

Although world-wide records nor marks are not broken, in the sport sense of the word, these competitions really form champions.

Two thousands altogether, all of them special ones. From children of eight years to adults who surpass the 40 and who identify by their mental retardation or cognitiva discapacidad.

Alexander Escallón, president of the Foundation for the Investigation and Special Desarrollo (Fides) are the manager of this event that will congregate in Compensating 1,800 Colombian sportsmen and 200 of eleven countries like Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela, Brazil, Spain, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia.

Which is the objective of the Olympic Games?

That the special people get up themselves to the community through sport. We began in 1978 with 300 sportsmen and today we have more than 45,000 in all the country. We had been 32 years doing the Olympic Games, 12 nationals became and we go in the second Latin American.

How many Colombian has cognitiva discapacidad?

Near two million and means. Many of them tie for the first time to the community through the Olympic Games. That is the reason for which we do them, not by publicity, but because through her many families dare to remove from the trunk to their discapacitado dear being.

How makes to handle as much people in the Olympic Games?

He is logistic a very great one. Near 500 volunteers and 2,000 sportsmen with its companions. To all we gather them in the airport or the terminal and we took them hotels to its. We offer 2,700 daily lunches and 5,400 refrigerios. It is the effort of much people, all volunteer.

How finances?

Almost everything with donations, gives the transport of the sportsmen and their luggage, the food us, the gifts, the accreditations. There are many companies that call to ask to us when they are the Olympic Games to collaborate to us. But always more aid is needed.

An aid law looks for

At the moment the Law 361 exists that blanket to all the discapacitados ones (physical and mental) requesting for right them as far as safe displacements, aid and mobilization in the city.

“We looked for, with the support of the senator Germa'n Vargas Lleras, a law that is exclusive for cognitiva discapacidad, because we think that a thing with another one cannot be equaled”, says Escallón.

The project has been three years and it has not been able to come out ahead because it has many contradictores. “It has been very difficult, but we followed in the fight. We want a law that protects them because they are left”, assures the president Fides.

Venezuela, present in the II Olympic Latin American Fides

2007-06-05,  The president of Fides, Alejandro Escallón comments on the Olympic 2007 Bogota, Colombia (RCN) – In the act also to Compensate and Fed compete twenty-eight sportsmen of the sister Republic
of Venezuela. 

In the first version of the special Olympics they gained medal of gold in basketball and athletics. 

This year the delegation of the neighboring country is conformed by twenty-eight special sportsmen divided into the category of less than 14 to 17 years of age and the category of greater from 17 to 28 years. 

For the high category which requires greater performance, they will participate in basketball and athletics, for the low category in athletics and swimming. 

"Our objective is not to gain, is to compete and to form a great brotherhood among all the countries that are found met in Bogota.  If we achieve some medal we will celebrate, if it do not we achieve also we will celebrate for to have participated and to have the valuable opportunity of to have known sportsmen of other countries", comments Alexis Valderrama, regional coordinator. 

In the meantime, in this space also there is place for an artistic sample of the special sportsmen of the delegations of Tolima, Huila, Caquetá and Tunja and will develop since the 12:00 from the day to the 2:00 PM during the sports week. 

A waste of creativity in painting, watercolor, mimic, modern dance, indigenous dance, songs in organeta, fomomímica, samba and sticks of the Table, they will do part of this artistic Festival. 

"This year, we have wanted that the special children besides its sports abilities, also they show its artistic abilities and through the art they express its feelings and emotions" affirms Alejandro Escallón President of FIDES. 

This artistic sample will be able to be enjoyed by all the assistants to the Olympic.