BRAZIL has come under fire for seizing 50 ventilators destined for Paraguay to help save coronavirus sufferers, a move branded a violation of human rights by legislators.

Paraguayan Health Minister Julio Mazzoleni denounced the Brazilian action and added that “other, non-traditional routes” were being sought to import supplies.

He said: “Everything that's associated with medicine in terms of equipment is retained in Brazil as their companies cannot sell their products out of the country anymore.”

Paraguayan members of the Mercosur parliament blasted the administration of Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.

They called the retention of the ventilators “a seizure and abuse by Brazil, violating human rights,” as “these types of equipment were acquired to respond to the needs of the Covid-19 pandemic in our country.”

Mr Bolsonaro has been criticised for his poor handling of the pandemic, having dismissed coronavirus as a “media fantasy” and “a trick” just a few weeks ago.

Brazil is the most affected nation in the region, with nearly 26,000 cases recorded and more than 1,500 deaths.

By contrast, Paraguay has had 161 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and eight deaths.