A new roof and an upgraded office on the border.
Between November 2024 and September 2025, for DIAN, the national tax agency, MARA upgraded, repaired and maintained its regional office in Puerto Carreño: the whole roof was replaced and its structure reinforced, with new gutters and downspouts; a French drain was built around the parking area, storeroom and archive to stop the damp; the power generator was moved to keep its noise and fumes away from the offices; and the parking area, storeroom, archive and staff dining room were refurbished.
Puerto Carreño, where the Meta meets the Orinoco.
The office is in the center of Puerto Carreño, capital of Vichada, where the Meta and Orinoco rivers meet, on the border with Venezuela. The climate is tropical savanna, 27 to 30 °C, and the high water table caused by the nearby Orinoco kept the parking area, storeroom and archive damp.
Unusual rains and a town on red alert.
In mid-2025, rainfall far above average made the Meta, Bita and Orinoco rivers overflow and put Puerto Carreño on red alert: the water came within about 20 meters of the office. Temporary dikes and barriers were built at the entrances, and the schedule was extended to finish the roof and finishes safely. On top of that, materials had to be supplied to a site in a remote part of the country.
Insulated roofing and work at height.
The old roof of perforated asphalt-coated sheets was replaced with insulated roofing on a reinforced structure, with new walls to give it the required slopes; the project logged 33 days of work at height. The French drain collects the water that used to seep in by capillary action, and the floors of the archive, storeroom, parking area and generator room were finished with epoxy paint.
A dry, orderly office.
The work was accepted on September 30, 2025, with all observations addressed and no accidents in ten months of work. Along the way, 168 m³ of debris and 959 kg of scrap metal were properly disposed of.
