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From Mexico to Colombia: LATAM’s Rising Voice in Global AI Policy

Latin America is no longer on the sidelines of the AI regulation debate—it’s stepping into the spotlight. From Mexico City’s legislative initiatives to Colombia’s landmark CONPES policy, and a high-level summit at UCL, LATAM is actively shaping the rules that will govern AI’s next chapter. Here’s what you need to know.

1. Mexico’s Senatorial Push for Balanced AI Rules

Earlier this month, Mexico’s chief AI legislator delivered a clear message: the Global South cannot sit out the AI governance race. In a Reuters interview, Senator Xóchitl Gálvez highlighted the need to balance innovation with safeguards against misuse, positioning Mexico as a leader among emerging economies on this front.

  • Key takeaway: Mexico is drafting a bill to regulate AI applications in finance and public services, incorporating strict data-privacy measures while preserving research freedom.

2. Colombia’s New National AI Policy: CONPES 4144

On June 14, 2025, Colombia’s National Planning Department (DNP) released CONPES 4144, the country’s first comprehensive AI policy framework. This soft-law document:

  • Establishes ethical and transparency standards for both public and private AI deployments.
  • Mandates algorithmic impact assessments for government systems handling citizen data.
  • Coordinates with sectoral regulators, including the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce’s 2024 data-protection guidelines.

Just days later, the Constitutional Court’s T-067/25 ruling reaffirmed citizens’ rights to understand AI-driven decisions, endorsing algorithmic transparency in public services.

3. Regional Summit at UCL: Mapping LATAM Governance Needs

On June 20, the UCL Institute of the Americas hosted “AI Governance and Regulation in Latin America,” convening policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders from Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and beyond. Highlights included:

  • Presentation of the Latin American AI Governance Index, benchmarking each country’s maturity in ethics, safety, and accountability.
  • Panel debates on data sovereignty—particularly for cloud-hosted AI services—and strategies for regional coordination.
  • A call to form a Pan-Latin regulatory forum to harmonize standards and share best practices.

This event underscored a growing consensus: fragmented national rules risk creating compliance gaps that bad actors could exploit.

4. Cross-Border Coordination Gains Momentum

Beyond high-profile summits, practical cooperation is unfolding:

  • Declaration of Santiago (Oct 2023) signatories are drafting model AI laws to guide legislative bodies across the region.
  • UNESCO’s 2024 Regional Summit in Buenos Aires produced a set of guiding principles—from fairness to human-centered design—that inform national bills.
  • Access Now’s “Regulatory Mapping” report has catalyzed civil-society pressure in Argentina, Brazil, and Peru, calling for anti-bias audits and public-interest AI oversight.

5. Challenges and Next Steps

Despite this momentum, LATAM faces hurdles:

  • Resource constraints in smaller economies may delay comprehensive rule-making.
  • Skill gaps in regulator ranks require targeted upskilling—a need that Tesoro AI’s regional talent network is uniquely positioned to address.
  • Global alignment with the EU’s AI Act and OECD principles will demand diplomatic agility to avoid becoming mere “regulation takers.”

Why It Matters for AI Teams

For companies and AI professionals eyeing Latin America, this regulatory surge brings both risk and opportunity:

  • Risk: Uncertainty around pending bills could stall deployments or require rapid policy pivots.
  • Opportunity: Early movers can shape local frameworks, gain first-mover advantages, and tap into funding incentives tied to ethical AI.

At Tesoro AI, we partner with organizations navigating these changes—matching you with regulatory-savvy engineers, data-governance experts, and policy advisors across LATAM. Our deep understanding of local contexts ensures your AI initiatives comply with emerging standards from Mexico City to Bogotá.

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