A LATAM community with new energy, and the SotMs have a lot to do with it

I am very happy to observe and participate in a trend that, since 2024 in Belém (Brazil), has been moving forward: a very positive streak in the OSM Latam community —the community where I am most active— around people who have managed to mobilize more people and remain united and cohesive up to the next regional State of the Map, which has already been chosen together with our Mexican community to take place in the historic center of Mexico City, in the wonderful historical building of the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso.
A very good alliance and a very good omen with the Instituto de Geografía of UNAM, a historical debt for the OSM Mexico community.

I have always been convinced that the regional level in Latam has the greatest potential to share its impactful experiences and to strengthen deeper dynamics, as seen at different times in its history. And we are precisely in one of those moments.
This same community is the one that gave birth to another of my dearest communities, Geochicas. For me, it is a nursery where important things emerge.

So it really gives me great joy to see us growing around the organization of these State of the Maps, and to see how it has happened since Belém, now in Medellín, and that it also looks promising for Mexico — a true regional collaboration, and not just a responsibility assumed by the host country.

It’s also been some time since this community used to have frequent tensions, leading to frustration and resignations caused by exclusionary visions. Curiously, a time of calm and novelty has arrived, and it feels VERY good.

For me, the State of the Map Latam Medellín has been the reaffirmation of something that could already be felt for about a year or a little more.

SotM Medellín

It turned out to be a lovely event, with high participation, strong presence of young people and women, and where it felt like it didn’t need to be a matter of struggle anymore — because there was acceptance. Of course, there’s still more to do.
This allowed us to work with a deeper perspective on topics such as gender, where, representing Geochicas, I participated in several workshops together with Adele Birkenes: a presentation of the preliminary results of the global survey on gender diversity, participation styles, and community experiences in OpenStreetMap; and a reflection on tagging —existing and those that need to be created— for facilities specific to women.

Then, wearing my HOT hat and also as part of the OpenStreetMap Mexico community, I spoke about preventive mapping to provide cartography for policies of climate change preparedness.

From my OpenStreetMap Latam hat, I invited and co-designed months in advance, together with the broader community, a session where we shared techniques, tools, and tips all together in a Tool Swap (Cambalache de herramientas): Short demonstrations of mapping/data usage tools or techniques that you like, with anyone who wants to participate. This particular session turned out really cool, organic, intentionally improvised and informal, but quite efficient and enriching. I highly recommend it for other events: you learn a lot, community is built, and it creates a nice dynamic moment.

Thanks!!! And let’s go for more

Thanks to the great effort of the organizers and their search for funding, it was a comfortable event, where there was food and even some support at the end for those who needed it most to attend.
I am deeply grateful to them, and also to those who contributed as sponsors, who are key to making an event possible where more people can attend —which is the main goal—, where as a result we build more community, and where meeting in person raises appreciation and the motivation to collaborate.
These sponsors were TomTom and Geoapify. Thousands of thanks also to the collaborators who supported and borrowed the venue.

See more info and results from the event here: This is what the SotM Latam 2025 achieved — OSM Latam

Wish us good luck and send your energy and support for the next edition in Mexico City! But most of all… we want to see you there!!