Expert contribution 3. The value of Open Data in Latin America

The excitement about the economic and social benefits of using data released in open format - so called open data - is here to stay. In the last five years, governments around the world have increasingly embraced the open government data agenda, following lead implementers such as the UK and the USA. Latin America is no exception. Mexico, Brazil and Uruguay are among the top 20 countries of the 2015 Open Data Barometer, a global ranking led by the World Wide Web Founda- tion that assess states according to their publication of key government datasets, readiness to benefit from open data and evidence of its impact. Colombia, in turn, was ranked fourth in the Open Data Index in 2015 - a survey coordinated by the Open Knowledge Foundation that measures the state of open government data around the world.