The Rio de Janeiro state government has declared a “state of public calamity”, saying emergency financial measures must be undertaken in order for the Olympic Games to go ahead as planned due to a “severe economic crisis” in the state.
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Others said the decree was a legal device for the state to get more money out of the federal government, which it would be otherwise unable to do because of Brazil’s fiscal responsibility law for public authorities. A decision on the payment has not yet been announced.
Mr Dornelles highlighted in the decree that Olympic teams would begin arriving this month to acclimatise for the Games, which start on August 5.
South Africa-based goalkeeper, Daniel Akpeyi, has said it is a great privilege to feature at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as one of the over-aged players for Nigeria.
“The state’s financial emergency in no way delays the delivery of Olympic projects and the promises assumed by the city of Rio”, Mayor Eduardo Paes said on Twitter.
The state government spent 9.77 billion reais ($2.8 billion), its biggest infrastructure investment in decades, on a 10-mile extension to Rio’s subway to link a series of wealthy beachside neighborhoods in time for the Olympics.
“The state of Rio has widely exceeded the limit for debt that it can legally have”.
“Murders are up 15 percent from a year ago”.
Temer said this week that the federal government is willing to assist the state government, but he did not offer specifics.
Most public funding for the Olympics has come from Rio’s city government, but the state is responsible for areas such as transport and policing. Amid the economic and political turmoil, the state security budget has been cut by a third.
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The events pose, “serious difficulties in delivering essential public services and could even cause a collapse in public safety, health, education, transportation and environmental management”, the decree said.
