Transnational Activism and the Inter-American Human Rights System:

An Analysis of the Almir Muniz da Silva Case in Light of the Boomerang Model

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15448/2178-5694.2026.1.49633

Keywords:

Inter-American Court, Forced Disappearance, Human Rights, Transnational Networks, Activism

Abstract

This article examines the Almir Muniz da Silva case to analyze how transnational activism and human rights networks drive the functioning of the Inter-American System. Faced with the inertia of the Brazilian justice system, the case became an example of the Boomerang Model; local actors mobilized international organizations to pressure the State through the Inter-American Commission and Court of Human Rights. Brazil’s 2024 conviction reinforced regional jurisprudence and the obligations under the Inter-American Convention on Forced Disappearance of Persons, affirming that state omission and investigative failure constitute violations of the rights to life, personal integrity, liberty, and the right to the truth. The study, using a qualitative approach, analyzes official documents and specialized literature, demonstrating that the sustained mobilization of transnational networks was decisive in internationalizing the forced disappearance of
a human rights defender in the country.

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Author Biographies

Erlane Alves dos Santos, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

PhD candidate in Administration at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), specializing in Strategy, Organizations, and Society – CAPES Proex scholarship recipient. Holds a Master’s degree in Criminal Sciences from PUCRS (2024) and a Law degree from the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPEL) (2022). President of the Impact and Innovation League at the PUCRS Business School. Researcher with the Sustainability and Social Impact Business Research Group (PUCRS).

Tarsila Klein Schorr, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Master's student in Sociology and Political Science at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) and a CAPES Proex scholarship recipient. She holds a degree in International Relations from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (2021). She currently serves as a UNV Business Integrity Associate at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Brazil. She is a researcher with OAPOC – Observatory on Transnational Collective Action and Comparative Politics (PUCRS – CNPq).

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Published

2026-09-28

How to Cite

Alves dos Santos, E., & Klein Schorr, T. (2026). Transnational Activism and the Inter-American Human Rights System:: An Analysis of the Almir Muniz da Silva Case in Light of the Boomerang Model. Conversas & Controvérsias, 13(1), e49633. https://doi.org/10.15448/2178-5694.2026.1.49633

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 1 (2026): Single Volume - Continuous flow

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Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Erlane Alves dos Santos, Tarsila Klein Schorr

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.