Várzea Grande celebrates 159 years with new infrastructure, health and agricultural projects

Várzea Grande, Mato Grosso, Brazil, marked its 159th anniversary on 15 May. Deputy Eduardo Botelho highlighted more than R$ 153 million in recent investments secured for the municipality, including a R$ 20 million land‑regularisation agreement and the issuance of around 12,000 property titles to families.

Health initiatives featured the Rede Cegonha maternity unit at Hospital São Lucas, upgraded with R$ 2 million to keep services in the city, and a R$ 2 million grant for a new health post in the José Carlos Guimarães neighbourhood. Agricultural support saw R$ 2.8 million for machinery and equipment benefiting roughly 1,800 small‑scale farmers, bringing total agro‑equipment spending to about R$ 7 million.

The celebration also recalled the city's history: founded in 1867 during the Paraguayan War by General José Vieira Couto de Magalhães, the first cement bridge over the Cuiabá River opened in 1942, and notable figures such as poet‑journalist Ubaldo Monteiro and first female mayor Sarita Baracat have shaped its cultural legacy.