Yeah cowlings are removed very regularly for maintenance and this plane is the previous model so it's bound to be a number of years old. That cowling will have been taken apart many times. Maintenance is more likely, or perhaps some foreign object impact.
The MCAS issues and the poor QC on those plug bolts are unforgivable but it's too early to point the finger at Boeing for this.
The MCAS issues and the poor QC on those plug bolts are unforgivable but it's too early to point the finger at Boeing for this.