Police, teachers and other government workers in Rio state have seen paychecks delayed because of the cash crunch. Rio de Janeiro state is in financial straits due to the fall in global oil prices, while Brazil overall is floundering through a deep recession. Rio state authorities declared a “state of public calamity” on Friday over a major budget crisis in order to release emergency funds to finance the Olympic Games due to begin in August. The August 5-21 Olympics and September 7-18 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro will be the first to be held in South America. 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.

Source: Hindustan Times June 18, 2016 03:00 UTC