ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the issues that policy-makers and policy entrepreneurs may need to take into account in Latin America when promoting and designing open government data (OGD) policies. However, because of the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on government practices, advocates are increasingly arguing that the release of public information should respect certain technical and legal standards to promote the reuse of public information. The traditional argument around access to public information is well known: implementation of freedom of information (FOI) and right to information (RTI) laws and policies could potentially lead to democratic institutions of better quality by allowing for improved analyses by governments, civil society and citizens, thus enhancing the decision-making process. Policy-making capabilities refer to the institutional capability that governments in the region have in order to address open government data policies, in particular, the existence of e-government agencies and the implementation units of RTI and FOI regulations.
