The municipality is located in the biomes of the Cerrado, Amazônia and the Pantanal. It is 210 km from Cuiabá, the capital of Mato Grosso and is 80 km from the Bolivian border. Cáceres is seen as one of the most important municipalities for the development of the Mato Grosso economy, due to its strategic location on the banks of the Paraguay River. This proximity facilitates trade with the countries of the La Plata Basin and even with European countries.
However, this location also makes it a vulnerable point on Brazilian borders. It is one of the main routes for the traffic of drugs and people and for the sexual exploitation of women, children and adolescents. Cáceres is a bicentenary town, with roots in slavery, segregation and the exploitation of the indigenous peoples. In addition, the municipality has one of the worst social indicators in the state of Mato Grosso. In terms of standards of living, 26.37% of the population live in extreme poverty.
Photo/Caption: Planning Meeting of the Cáceres Black Women´s Collective – We are committed to not dying! Photo: PR
