Foreign Minister Alfredo Moreno accompanied by the President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, visited the Telethon Institute in Santiago. The activity, which is part of his state visit to our country, allowed the Colombian leader to gain first-hand knowledge of the work carried out by this foundation.
President Santos is particularly interested in the process by which Telethon Colombia resumed this solidarity campaign in 2010 - taking the Chilean experience as a model - after 15 years of being discontinued.
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During their tour of Telethon facilities, the authorities were accompanied by Carlos Alberto Délano, current chair of the board of directors: Ximena Casarejos, executive director of Telethon Foundation and Milton González, national medical director of the institution.
The Colombian Head of State got acquainted with the work carried out in the area of kinesiology and high standard technologies such as Lokomat (robotic orthosis for gait improvement). He also learned about the comprehensive work developed by highly motivational workshops that favor the rehabilitation of children and youth though varied artistic expressions.
Upon concluding his visit, along with thanking the invitation President José Manuel Santos said: "Someone used to say that societies and states should be measured for their capacity to assist not the people that are ahead but those who are behind, the vulnerable sectors. What you are doing here, shows what Chile is like as a society, and it's an example."
Minister Moreno, in turn, who before taking office as foreign minister chaired the board of directors of Telethon, highlighted the importance of disseminating the Chilean experience. "Both countries have worked towards integration in the most varied areas: political, economic, cultural, mining. If, in addition to that we can pass on our 33-year experience in Telethon Foundation so as to make it in Colombia as successful as it has been in Chile, we would be more than satisfied "