Danger at Paraguay government complex after aluminum panels fall again

Aluminum panels have fallen from the facade of the Ministry of Education and Sciences tower in Asunción’s government complex for the fifth time, prompting renewed concern among workers and visitors.

Héctor Squef, owner of subcontractor RICSOFAN S.A., said the building wall has plaster irregularities of up to five centimeters. He said the uneven surface prevented the panels from being anchored firmly. Asked whether the falling materials posed a danger, Squef answered: “Of course it is dangerous, anything that falls from a height is dangerous.”

The company is preparing suspended platforms so workers can reach the 15th floor and replace the fallen aluminum composite panels. Squef said RICSOFAN would cover the costs, even though the work was delivered in June 2024 and its six-month warranty has expired.

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Of course it is dangerous, anything that falls from a height is dangerous.

“Our mistake was not warning about the defect in the plaster so it could be repaired and this would not happen, so I take responsibility,” he said. The repair will depend on weather conditions, since rain could delay work at height. The company also promised to add a fastening system that was not used during the four previous interventions.

The repeated failures have alarmed public employees who work in the complex and visitors who enter it daily. Rubén Irala, president of the MEC employees’ union, has also submitted a second complaint to Education Minister Luis Ramírez about the building’s problems, including poor hygiene and the presence of pests.

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Our mistake was not warning about the defect in the plaster so it could be repaired and this would not happen, so I take responsibility.