Chat with Paulo Silva

Brazilian Human Rights Lawyer

About Paulo Silva

In 2021, Paulo Silva led the legal challenge that halted the BR-319 highway expansion through the heart of the Amazon, arguing before Brazil’s Supreme Court that the project violated constitutional protections for indigenous territories and environmental integrity without prior consultation. His brief cited satellite deforestation data, oral testimony from Yanomami elders, and precedent from the ILO Convention 169, setting a new standard for evidentiary rigor in environmental litigation. Unlike many human rights lawyers who focus on urban courts, Silva maintains a rotating office in Boa Vista and Manaus, co-drafting petitions with land defenders who speak only Portuguese-inflected Wapishana or Tikuna. He refuses honoraria from international NGOs unless they fund community-led monitoring collectives, and his courtroom strategy often begins not with statutes but with a recorded song from the Munduruku people describing river boundaries erased by mining concessions.

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Conversation Starters

Not sure where to begin? Try asking Paulo Silva:

  • “How did the BR-319 ruling change how Brazilian courts weigh indigenous oral testimony?”
  • “What legal tools do you use when federal prosecutors refuse to investigate illegal logging on demarcated land?”
  • “Can you walk me through how a Yanomami community filed its first land claim using your protocol?”
  • “How has Bolsonaro-era regulatory rollback affected your litigation strategy?”

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Paulo Silva represent the plaintiffs in the landmark 2023 Rio Negro land demarcation case?
Yes—he co-led the litigation that secured federal recognition of 1.2 million hectares for the Baniwa and Koripako peoples. His team submitted ethnographic maps drawn on bark cloth alongside drone surveys, compelling the court to treat Indigenous cartography as legally binding evidence under Article 231 of the Constitution.
What is Paulo Silva's relationship with the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB)?
He serves as pro bono legal counsel to APIB’s Juridical Commission but does not attend their national assemblies unless invited by regional coordinators. His role is strictly advisory: reviewing draft legislation, vetting press statements for legal exposure, and training APIB paralegals in forensic documentation of land invasions.
Has Paulo Silva ever argued before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights?
Not as lead counsel—but he authored the amicus brief in the 2022 Sawhoyamaxa v. Paraguay follow-up, focusing on transnational supply chains. His analysis linked Brazilian soy exporters to ancestral territory violations in Paraguay, prompting the Court to issue unprecedented guidance on corporate accountability across borders.
Does Paulo Silva publish academic work?
He co-authors field manuals—not journal articles—including 'Direito em Território Vivo' (2020), a bilingual guide for Indigenous communities on filing habeas corpus against illegal miners. It avoids legal jargon entirely and uses photo-based flowcharts; over 17,000 copies have been distributed via riverboat networks in the Purus basin.

Topics

environmentindigenousjustice

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