Mónica Meltis

Mónica has created a new approach to address extreme violence and human rights violations, supporting citizens and governments to harness data and technology for unlocking solutions. Her work levels the field for the people closest to the problem to influence the agenda—and encourages breakthroughs that would otherwise take years.

Mexico faces staggering levels of violence. One of its crudest forms is the crisis of forced disappearances: more than 100,000 missing persons who are considered abducted by criminal or state forces. In this harrowing context, Mónica saw a need to create new flows of information to empower the growing citizen movement—which is filling the gap left by the state to locate missing persons, contain violence, and seek accountability—and increase institutional capacity to respond effectively.

Mónica and her team at Data Cívica are democratizing the use of data and technology to foster greater collaboration among affected communities, authorities, journalists, and CSOs. These tools are essential to generate a better understanding of the problem and enable more efficient, successful approaches at all levels. Her goal is simple: more data for more people. By helping all stakeholders see the importance of data, Mónica creates an incentive for them to collaborate to increase the quality and quantity of information available for everyone. At the same time, Data Cívica installs the skills and technology needed to enable everyone to access these resources.

Data Cívica models how data can be used in powerful ways by developing open-access resources and leading collaborative research. For instance, the current design of the national registry of missing persons makes it impossible to track who has been found (dead or alive) and which cases remain unresolved. Data Cívica built an alternative database that cross-references data from the registry of missing persons with other public databases to find their identity. And, when they realized that the registry was missing data from some states, Data Cívica worked with citizen search brigades to complete the information. Publishing this independent database forced the government to disclose their full information. For the first time, everyone can put names and faces to the statistics, which allows families to scrutinize progress in investigations as well as galvanize public demands for justice.

Alongside creating research, Mónica and her team develop replicable technology solutions that fit the context of grassroots groups and last-mile public entities. They identify existing open-source software and adapt it for this underserved sector, such as repurposing a geospatial model for optimizing new store locations into a tool for locating clandestine graves. This tool helps teams on the ground to decide where to focus search efforts with greater precision. Thanks to these solutions, processes that would take months or years to complete (if at all) can be done in record time and help bring justice to victims faster. To scale this work, Mónica has started to engage software development companies like Microsoft, to explore how communities on the frontlines of human rights issues might be incorporated into the software design process. Engaging the tech sector could potentially open a new market for products that contribute to building capacity for social impact at all levels.

Mónica has been a trailblazer in applying data analysis to create practical resources like these for tackling forced disappearance, playing an instrumental role in sparking interest among stakeholders. Since her research approach prioritizes building relationships with groups on the frontlines, the process itself introduces these overlooked groups to the data potential. Citizens, organizations, and public servants can dive deeper into data skills through Data Cívica’s education programs.

Fostering a culture of data usage is helping to strengthen advocacy and accountability efforts, as citizens and journalists can monitor government actions, use robust evidence to shape narratives, and make informed demands. Expanding access to data also supports decisions that accelerate the work of both citizen groups and local public entities, such as spotting trends and patterns to prioritize where to focus resources. Data is also an important mechanism for documenting and preserving victims’ stories to ensure justice and historical memory.

But beyond turning citizens into better data creators and consumers, Mónica’s vision is that more actors recognize the value of producing data and have power to do it—so better data is available for the whole system. The investigations and tools driven by Data Cívica are mechanisms to form “data communities” that foster continuous data-sharing: as grassroots groups, journalists, CSOs, and public institutions benefit from these resources, they are motivated to collect and share information themselves to grow the databases and make new solutions possible.

Mónica believes that the experience of forced disappearance can offer lessons for tackling different forms of violence driven by organized crime, as well as other complex human rights issues. Open-sourcing training content and technologies have enabled Data Cívica's methodologies to flourish across Central America, Colombia, Chile, Peru, and other countries in Latin America.

Mexico ranks among the least peaceful countries in Latin America, according to the Global Peace Index (GPI). The country is mired in complex forms of criminal activity and violence driven by organized crime as well as the state, either by collusion or negligence and reinforced systematically by near absolute impunity. In this turmoil, forced disappearances have become alarmingly common. Over 100,000 people have disappeared since 2006 by some estimates, and an average of two clandestine graves full of unidentified bodies are discovered every day. However, the true magnitude of the problem is unknown.

Authorities have failed to provide adequate responses, instead doubling down on military action in a so-called “war on drugs”. Research by multiple organizations and scholars has shown that this security approach has only exacerbated the problem, as armed forces are allowed to operate with little transparency and accountability. Indeed, these investigations consistently point to government implications in extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances.

Faced with government inaction, families of victims, CSOs, and journalists have mobilized to investigate the country’s thousands of disappearances through their own means, traversing difficult terrain with picks and shovels to locate missing persons. Such groups have organized at different levels, from communities to cross-state brigades, to investigate cases independently and search for their family members. Together, they drove a forceful advocacy effort in 2017 that led to the adoption of a National Law on Disappearances, which established new mechanisms and established a system of entities dedicated to tackling forced disappearance.

Yet weak implementation means that the law has failed to deliver on its promise. Hampered by insufficient funding and infrastructure, and limited coordination among entities, public institutions have inadequate capacity to perform their mandate. Investigations happen slowly, if at all—only 35 out of 82 thousand cases have been convicted in the last four years.

Mónica understands that technology and data could be powerful catalysts to accelerate progress in finding missing persons and bringing justice to victims. However, current information flows are inadequate. On the “supply” side, information collected by multiple institutions is not standardized, what is measured is not necessarily the most relevant data, there is widespread underreporting, and databases are not user-friendly. Meanwhile, data "consumers" (public servants especially at the local level, CSOs, journalists, and citizens), do not know how to download public databases, analyze and interpret information, nor generate visualizations to disseminate information in an accessible way. These barriers mean that, although availability of open government data has increased greatly in the past two decades, it is not translating into improved transparency and accountability.

At the same time, the ineffective response against forced disappearance cannot be explained by a lack of capacity or budgetary limits alone. Impunity frequently results from deliberate undermining of investigations. Officials often tamper with evidence, refuse to initiate investigations, intimidate and threaten victims and witnesses, and refuse to report data required by law.

Citizens and civil society therefore need to use existing data sources but also generate their own data to contrast official figures. Armed with evidence, they can design more effective advocacy tools and generate narratives that impact public discussions about security in the country. Yet they are missing relevant capacity-building opportunities, especially at the grassroots level where literacy and connectivity rates are low, and resources are scarce. Access to free software that is user-friendly and can function without internet would also go a long way to put valuable information within reach for more people.

Monica is changing the system for addressing forced disappearance and other extreme violence linked to organized crime through a threefold strategy: 1) increasing the availability of information through up-skilling and research, 2) developing technological solutions, and 3) building a collaborative network of organizations, citizens, and public institutions to create new flows of information.

Capacity-building to improve information

Data Cívica helps build a data-driven system by spreading digital literacy and data skills, particularly among grassroots groups, journalists, and local prosecutors, that enable them to become better data users and creators. In the past two years, they have certified over 600 people and 80 organizations and reached the wider public through open-access digital education resources. Not only do they learn to take advantage of public data, but they also start to generate their own research and data. Armed with robust evidence, citizen groups and journalists enhance the efficacy of their work, attract more funding, and become trusted sources of information—capacities that have been traditionally reserved for large, formal organizations.

Alumni become Data Cívica’s research and advocacy partners, collaborating to develop public knowledge resources that help raise awareness and influence policy. In one high-profile example, Data Cívica and 30 partners—including grassroots groups, journalists, and CSOs—demonstrated that the implication of the army and police in disappearances is not a rogue case, as the government has claimed, but rather a systematic issue of excessive violence and impunity. Using data from search brigades and family groups (in part available thanks to Data Cívica’s capacity-building), the research identified +1,500 cases that were not accounted for in the official registry. These and other studies demonstrating the correlation between increased army presence and rising violence rates have been instrumental in bolstering the movement against militarization in Mexico. Although policies continue to move in that direction, in 2018, pressure from civil society prevented changes to the Constitution that would have entrenched the use of the military for domestic security tasks.

Additionally, Data Cívica supports the government to improve the quality and usability of public data. For example, in collaboration with the National Institute for Statistics and Geography (INEGI), the public survey office, Data Cívica worked with municipal and state prosecutors to understand why they were filing incomplete data throughout disappearance cases and used these insights to adapt existing instruments, ensuring that the right questions and variables are measured. These improvements have helped to identify missing persons faster and accelerate investigations to bring justice to victims.

Democratizing access to technology

Mónica understands that upskilling is not enough: existing data technologies are designed for the needs of businesses and academics—not for communities and public officials in resource-constrained, low-tech contexts. To address this gap, her team at Data Cívica collaborates with citizens and government institutions to harness existing open-source software into relevant tools, combining their ITI expertise with the knowledge sourced from their partners on the frontlines. Acknowledging that there is no ‘perfect’ method that will fit every situation, Data Cívica underscores its approach with personalized support that is still flexible enough to be replicated and scaled. These solutions aim to replace time-consuming processes and enable more strategic interventions to resolve forced disappearances.

For instance, Data Cívica’s open-source “Citizen Platform of Clandestine Graves” uses geospatial modeling and machine learning to identify “risk polygons” that narrow down the search area for locating clandestine graves, based on historical data from official sources, press reports, and citizen brigades. This information has dramatically accelerated efforts to find victims of forced disappearance. Citizen brigades in the states of Guanajuato, Jalisco, Baja California, Michoacán, and the State of Mexico have used this resource to dispute the local government’s denial of clandestine graves existing in their territory; although brigades had campaigned for years based on their own findings, the database provided decisive evidence that forced the activation of official investigations. Other organizations have leveraged it to support advocacy efforts, such as the National Movement for Our Missing Persons, Article 19, the Human Rights Commission, and Iberoamerican University. Data Cívica is now working with state-level Search Commissions to implement the models in relevant institutions.

In another important contribution, Data Cívica implemented biometric recognition software in prosecutors’ offices to mass digitalize fingerprints from unidentified bodies and cross-reference with databases of missing persons, enabling faster identification. This software replaces a highly manual process, raising an average of 10 fingerprints digitalized per week to up to 900 with 98% accuracy rate. Piloted in 2022, more than 700 unidentified victims have been matched with records using this software – which exceeds the National Forensic Center’s results. Thanks to this success, it is being rolled out across all 32 state prosecutor’s offices, and forensic teams in Guatemala are already replicating it.

Empowering a network of changemakers

Finally, Mónica uses data as an incentive to foster greater collaboration across the system. Conflicting interests have made it difficult for stakeholders to find common ground, but she shows that sharing information and resources is necessary to build solid evidence bases that raise all boats. For instance, recognizing the power of Data Cívica’s geospatial tool, groups searching for victims of forced disappearance in different states and prosecutors’ offices are now exchanging data of identified grave sites to improve the model’s accuracy.

Collaborating in projects spearheaded by Data Cívica forms connections among stakeholders and provides a model for collective research and advocacy. Through this process, Data Cívica’s partners become a community that multiplies independently. In the state of Nuevo León, 16 organizations that learned methods for monitoring judicial authorities’ handling of femicide cases continued partnering after the project with Data Cívica, developing community-based prevention efforts together with public institutions.

A key contribution has been highlighting the perspective of the people closest to the problem, particularly citizen search groups and local press (which is often non-professional). Through the language of data, their knowledge from the field can be translated for wider usage. As one of the most trusted organizations in the field, Data Cívica provided grassroots groups with a highly visible platform and access to spaces of influence, which was a crucial driver behind their increased recognition as legitimate sources of information. It is now more common for larger organizations and the formal press to involve them or use their data, and at the local level they have a less antagonistic relationship with authorities.

Impact and future plans

Together, these strategies reveal a more detailed, precise picture of how violence unfolds in Mexico—what is happening and where, who is affected and how, and who are the perpetrators. Not only is there more and higher-quality data available, but also stakeholders are better able to understand it and analyze it critically. A better understanding of the problem enables more efficient, sophisticated, and successful approaches from both authorities and civil society. Additionally, increased integration is helping citizen groups to become a powerful bloc with unified demands, which has strengthened lobbying and promoted a more cohesive and effective dialogue with decision-makers

The depth of the problem means that efforts are predominantly focused on finding missing persons; however, Mónica and her team have helped lay the groundwork for stronger prevention as well. For example, the predictive model for locating clandestine graves helped authorities and citizen groups to precisely identify hot spots across the country, thereby directing protection resources to those locations and activating risk-mitigation strategies.

Mónica currently approaches scaling through open-sourcing training content and databases and by transferring technologies and methodologies to other actors. She has seen successful cases of replication in Central America, Colombia, Chile, Peru, and other countries. In the next few years, she aims to scale Data Cívica’s model regionally or even globally through a network of peer organizations. She is testing how the approach can be applied to other issues of extreme violence according to contextual priorities, such as femicides and political violence. Data Cívica recently conducted an investigation that identified systemic failures in the implementation of protocols against gender-based violence alerts, which policymakers and CSOs used to redesign risk assessment methods and propose legal reforms. Together with partners, the organization also established an observatory that documents political violence (particularly during electoral periods) and informs protection mechanisms.

Mónica is also in the process of engaging the technology sector to increase the availability of appropriate products. She is currently working with a US-based partner to help developers in Silicon Valley understand how their tools can be adapted for use in the context of forced disappearance and other human rights issues.

Growing up in a school environment that fostered critical thinking and emphasized the importance of understanding social issues, Mónica developed an interest in politics early on. Her curiosity and desire to make a difference were further nurtured by her father, who engaged her in impassioned debates. These dinner table discussions forged Mónica’s dream of becoming a diplomat. She earned a full scholarship to study political science at ITAM, a top university in Mexico.

During her studies she volunteered at Platform for Sustainable Development (PIDES), an NGO fostering citizen participation through open data. There, she was selected to be a Youth Representative at COP17 in Durban to promote youth involvement in the open government movement. Galvanized by this experience, Mónica became an avid hackathon participant. She also joined a research team analyzing how social media was being used by citizens for protection amid rising violence in the country – her first experience using data analysis to explore the potential of technology for responding to violence. Her fascination with technology and data for social impact was encouraged by one of her professors, Pepe Merino, a renowned expert in the field.

While her environment was narrowly focused on policy solutions and academic research, Mónica’s perspective shifted after joining a discussion group formed by a renowned feminist scholar at her university. This group taught her to approach social issues in a different way, embracing an ethos of “the personal is political” and connecting with grassroots social movements. She co-founded La Cuarta Ola, the first feminist student organization, to extend these discussions across the university and organize activities like a sexual education fair.

Mónica's life took a transformative turn following the forced disappearance of 43 students in 2014. Like most Mexicans, the tragic event confronted Mónica with this phenomenon for the first time. She channeled her outrage into mobilizing student support for the families of the victims, drawing on her experience with La Cuarta Ola. Witnessing their pain and becoming aware of the extent of forced disappearances in Mexico ignited Mónica’s commitment to tackling this problem. She soon became deeply involved in the emerging citizen movement.

Working closely with these grassroots groups gave her a unique insight into the challenges they faced. She knew that basic digital technologies and better data could significantly accelerate their work, yet she observed that most people were unfamiliar with these tools, and they were not adapted to their context. So, when her mentor Pepe Merino invited her to join the launch of Data Cívica in 2015, Mónica jumped at the chance. At the time this was a small, early-stage organization to strengthen political transparency and accountability in the use of public funds. It focused on implementing workshops to teach journalists and CSOs to use open government data, alongside some consulting projects.

Mónica, however, envisioned that Data Cívica could play an essential role in addressing the escalating violence gripping the country. Pepe and his co-founders saw Data Cívica as a side project; amid the lack of clear leadership, she steered the team towards this new focus. She maintained the goal of expanding access to data and technology for human rights but went further to engage grassroots groups, public institutions, and policymakers in building solutions, rather than the small-scale direct training originally intended. By the time Mónica stepped up as Director in 2017, she had already spearheaded the first projects developing research and tools to help locate missing persons in partnership with search brigades. Six years on Data Cívica is widely acknowledged for revolutionizing the fight against forced disappearance.