Latinoware 2024: Celebrating FOSS Across Latin America

Why does Latinoware matter? As one of the most vibrant gatherings of the free software community in Latin America, Latinoware 2024 stood out as not only as a technical conference but a hub for collaboration, innovation, and inspiration. Held on the iconic “triple border” of Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina, this year’s event brought together a diverse audience of students, entrepreneurs, researchers, and tech professionals.

For Linux Professional Institute (LPI), Latinoware was an opportunity to reinforce its commitment to fostering open source and professional growth. Here’s why this event was a highlight for LPI and why it continues to resonate with the open source community.

Latinoware and Its Evolution

Latinoware 2024 reaffirmed its position as a cornerstone for the free and open source software movement in Latin America. This year, it integrated into the larger Iguaçu Inova Festival, blending themes of innovation, science, and business to attract an even broader audience. Over three days, attendees explored critical topics such as artificial intelligence, DevOps, cloud computing, security, and robotics—all with free software as the central focus.

The event provided a platform for multilingual and multicultural exchange, demonstrating how open source transcends boundaries and becomes a catalyst for collaboration and growth.

LATINOWARE ’24: Highlights of LPI’s Participation

Keynote Contributions

For the first time, I had the privilege of attending Latinoware as both a representative of the LPI Board of Directors and a speaker. My talk focused on the strategic importance of certifications as tools for validating skills, earning market recognition, and unlocking new career opportunities. Similarly, Juan Alberto Ibarra Baez, LPI’s Global Partner Success Manager, delved into how certifications serve as career enablers and help professionals navigate the global job market.

The response was overwhelming. Attendees ranged from students embarking on their first steps in IT to seasoned professionals looking to advance their careers. The thirst for guidance and recognition in the open source community was palpable, affirming LPI’s mission of empowerment.

Engagement at the LPI Booth

The LPI booth became a hub for meaningful interactions, where we connected with participants on a personal level. Their stories, challenges, and aspirations reinforced the importance of certifications as a stepping stone for professional growth. By providing tailored information about LPI’s certifications and membership benefits, we demonstrated how LPI can make a tangible impact at every career stage.

These exchanges went beyond technical discussions—they became conversations about the transformative power of knowledge, community, and perseverance.

The Takeaways from This Edition of the Conference

Latinoware 2024 highlighted the growing relevance of free software in addressing some of the biggest challenges in technology and society. From fostering diversity and inclusion to driving innovation in emerging fields like robotics and AI, the event showed how open source can be a tool for both technical and social progress.

For me, personally, it was an enriching experience to represent LPI at such an important gathering. It reinforced my belief in the power of certifications to empower individuals and communities alike. I left the event with renewed optimism for the future of free software and the pivotal role LPI will continue to play in shaping it.