Noise pollution in the area around the Integration Bridge, between Presidente Franco, Paraguay, and Foz de Yguazú, Brazil, has once again drawn complaints from residents on both sides of the border, with reports that the excessive noise is now reaching the Brazilian side of the Paraná River as well.
The former mayor of Foz de Yguazú, Paulo Mac Donald, posted a video on social media recorded in the early hours of Monday morning in which he says: "It's 4:30 a.m. and the music is still playing." He showed footage taken from the Brazilian bank of the Paraná River and complained about the noise coming from Paraguayan territory, which he says is disrupting the city residents' sleep.
Residents of Presidente Franco who live near the Integration Bridge have also repeatedly reported noise caused by powerful sound systems, especially on weekends.
According to the complaints, earlier this month the Municipal Board of Presidente Franco sent official letters to the director of the Alto Paraná Police, Commissioner General José Félix Vega, and to the deputy prosecutor Celso José Sanabria González, requesting enforcement operations in the areas with the highest number of complaints.
The National Police carried out an enforcement operation over a weekend, but the efforts were not sustained, and the complaints have since resumed.