Enforcing Democracy at the Regional Level: Paraguay's Suspension Before the Mercosur Court

Abstract

On 29 June 2012, the presidents of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay decided to suspend Paraguay's rights to participate in Mercosur decision-making. Paraguay responded by initiating a dispute before Mercosur's Permanent Review Court. This article reviews the facts of the case and the decision of the Permanent Review Court, discusses the legality of the suspension and the extent to which international judicial bodies can and should intervene in political decision-making.

Keywords: Mercosur, Democratic Clause, Permanent Review Court, Regional Agreements