"Surrounded by Rios luxuriant forests, the museum struggled for years with lack of care amid a deep economic crisis. Brazils government has been trimming the national budget to plug a shortfall as large as 7% of total output, and cuts have been felt across the board, while all levels of government, particularly in Rio, have been engulfed in corruption scandal.
Images from an institutional video show mold taking over aged walls and sculptures, art objects tossed on the ground and improvised electric installations.
The museum was part of Rio de Janeiros Federal University and received a total of $121,000 a year from the Education Ministry to cover all its expenses, the museum spokesman said. This year, as of April, it had received only $14,000. The museum recently signed a contract to get $5 million from Brazils development bank, but the fire came before any funds were transferred, the spokesman said."
https://www.wsj.com/articles/fire-engulfs-brazils-national-museum-in-rio-1535982330