Experts demand urgent protection for Casa Riccio in Venezuela

Academic specialists and professional guilds are calling for immediate technical safeguards for Casa Riccio in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, following the halt of irregular demolition works. Although the intervention of the Directorate of Planning and Urban Control stopped the damage, the structure remains highly vulnerable. The previous removal of coverings and enclosures has left the building, a work by master architect Fruto Vivas, exposed to the elements, risking irreversible damage.

The academic community from the Central University of Venezuela (UCV), led by architect Melissa C. Parra, has proposed a three-pillar emergency plan: installing provisional protective shelters, executing a scientific restoration based on original plans, and creating an advisory commission of specialists to oversee future works. Experts warn that the lack of updated heritage records and institutional neglect threatens the nation's architectural heritage and cultural tourism.