BRASILIA, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Latin America's largest trading bloc Mercosur has rejected Paraguay's appeal to overturn its suspension from the group, Brazil's state-run news agency Agencia Brasil said Monday.
Mercosur member countries agreed several weeks ago to sanction Paraguay for removing President Fernando Lugo through a legally questionable impeachment trial that was described by some Latin American leaders as a "legislative coup."
The suspension will be in effect until the country holds presidential elections in April 2013.
Mercosur's permanent review court decided Saturday that it was beyond its jurisdiction to consider Paraguay's appeal to annul the suspension voted on by Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. The appeal was submitted by Lugo's former vice president and current Paraguayan President Federico Franco.
The court also rejected Paraguay's appeal to overturn the incorporation of Venezuela as a full Mercosur member, which was voted on after Paraguay was suspended despite its objection.
The unanimous court decision said Paraguay's appeal "fails to present the requisites for admissibility."
The appeal was analyzed by the court's five judges, including Brazil's Jorge Fountoura and Welber Barral, Argentina's Carlos Correa, Uruguay's Jose Gamio and Paraguay's Roberto Ruiz Diaz.
Paraguay's foreign ministry issued a statement saying the country retains the hope that its suspension from Mercosur can be overturned, despite the lack of requisites needed to change its status.
Lugo was impeached by Paraguay's Congress in June in a trial triggered by a land eviction, which killed 17 people in clashes between police and landless peasants.
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