I feel very much sorrow for your friend but, believe me, the only thing I can say is that in more than one year that I'm in the "Lista Brasileira de Cicloturismo" I've never had the feeling/impression of such an imminent danger due to whatsoever form of criminality.
Sure, you must basically act as a "non stupid individual", you must pay attention, you must act as a fully responsible and conscious person, but say that to go to Brazil is equivalent to go in place where your life is at risk is totally exagerate and out of any real immagination.
I'll leave the 15 of September and I'll cross all the Nordeste till Fortaleza in around forty days.
That it!