On 21 March 1860 a "Pueblo" (village) named "Pereira" was created by the Act of Ley N� 614. On 7 May 1862, it was substituted by the "Villa" (town) named "Ceballos" and founded by the Act of Ley N� 704, in honor of the Spanish viceroy Pedro de Cevallos. In July 1867 it took on the official name "Rivera" and was recognized as a "Villa". The Brazilian town Santana do Livramento already existed just across the border. On 1 October 1884, it became capital of the Department of Rivera by the Act of Ley N� 1.757. Its status was elevated to "Ciudad" (city) on 10 June 1912 by the Act of Ley N� 4.006.
In 1943, the Plaza International Rivera-Livramento (see photo) was built to celebrate the Fifth Conference of the Commission Mixta for Mixed Limits and as a hope for the future integration of the two towns, claimed to be the only international square in the world. From 1851 to this day, inhabitants of both communities are free to move in both sides. Customs and checkpoints are located outside the cities. Today, duty free shops are one of the main economic resources of Rivera
