I certainly wouldn't be calling Brasil or specifically Rio a hellhole. That's a little much. I lived in Chile for a year and was in Brasil for the World Cup. And I can tell you it was awesome! Of course a City of millions has it's weak points, I was in NYC last year and wouldn't travel in certain parts, even in a car! I'm from Vancouver and there's a few block radius that is almost a 'no-go' zone because of the drugs and assaults. You'll find it in any country. As for the "DrugLord" thing, they are infiltrating governments and the such, they aren't worried about the drugs that are being bought in their own countries, they are focused on getting across borders. Drugs are a problem in any big city, not just the ones far away.
All Rio is doing by declaring a emergency is bypassing local legislature and going to the Feds for money. The Federal government has let Rio foot the bill for the majority of the Games despite the impact it will have on Brasil as a whole. All the locals are doing is bypassing the City and State and going straight to the Feds. Which the "State" didn't want because of other bureaucracy amongst themselves.
As far as waste and garbage floating in the bay......I swear Coal Harbour/Stanley Park(In Vancouver, one of the "cleanest" places on Earth) was more polluted than Rio when I was there. But that's just my observations.
