Mauro Cid: Army awaits complaint to avoid promotion – 01/20/2024 – Power

The Army leadership expects the MPF (Federal Public Ministry) to file a complaint against Lieutenant Colonel Mauro Cid before April.

The deadline is considered crucial for generals heard by the Sheetas Cid’s class at Aman (Agulhas Negras Military Academy) competes for promotion to colonel on the 30th of that month.

Under current rules, Cid could be prevented from competing for promotion if he became a defendant in court. There are other situations in which military personnel have their careers frozen, with no possibility of promotion, but the lieutenant colonel does not fit into any of them.

Mauro Cid is at the top of the class and is one of the most highly rated to receive the third star with a gold background. The wear and tear in the Army with a possible promotion of Jair Bolsonaro’s (PL) former aide-de-camp, however, has generated apprehension among military personnel close to the Army commander, General Tomás Paiva.

The soldier was arrested for four months last year and is being investigated in different investigations related to Bolsonaro. Among the cases are the organization of a live broadcast in which the former president made attacks against the electoral system, suspicions involving the management of presidential family resources, the investigation into the sale of jewelry received by Bolsonaro and the forgery of vaccination cards for entry into the United States.

The Federal Police also hopes to move forward with investigations into a possible coup d’état planning by Bolsonaro’s supporters after the election of Lula (PT), at the end of 2022. The former aide-de-camp signed an award-winning collaboration agreement with the FEDERAL POLICE.

Cid graduated from Aman in 2000 with the third best grade in the class and was crowned with first place in his master’s degree at Esao (Escola Superior de Aperfeiçoamento de Oficiais). The award is displayed on a medal on the lieutenant colonel’s uniform.

Classmates consulted by the report, subject to reservations, state that, without any developments in the Judiciary, he is the main candidate for promotion in April. If Cid does not become a defendant by then, the lieutenant colonels who graduated with him believe that only unfavorable grades granted within the scope of the Officer Promotion Commission could prevent his career progression.

The process for promotion to colonel in Mauro Cid’s class began in November, with the release of the RIProm (Promotion Impediments Report). This is a document created by the Army that shows who is prevented or qualified from competing for promotion.

According to reports made to Sheet, Cid’s RIProm did not indicate an impediment. The lieutenant colonel is qualified to compete for the promotion and has already signed and sent the necessary documents to the body responsible for analyzing them.

The internal documentation and merit evaluation processes for promotion, however, have not yet started. The current phase is updating the personnel database.

“The Army Social Communication Center informs that the positioning for the promotions that will take place on April 30, 2024 has not started. This fact makes the response unfeasible,” said the Force, in a note, when asked about the situation of Cid.

He also added that “personal information is protected” by the Access to Information Law and the General Personal Data Protection Law.”

Cid’s colleagues at Aman say that the lieutenant colonel is confident about the promotion and hopes to continue his military career despite the investigations conducted by the Federal Police and the impacts of his overexposure to his family.

As a way of showing support for Bolsonaro’s former aide-de-camp, Cid’s friends started a fundraiser at the end of December to raise R$300,000. The objective, according to messages circulated in WhatsApp groups, would be to help pay the fees of the soldier’s lawyer, Cezar Bittencourt.

The text created to attract collaborations said that the objective was to help Cid “pay his lawyer costs, which are immense.” It also reported that the high expenses caused “him to sell several assets to cover the costs of legal fees”.

“Let’s go together to help this friend who has always been loyal, a family man and an excellent soldier. Our goal with this crowdfunding is to raise 300 thousand, as it is only part of what he needs to pay. Let’s join forces together to get this amount for the our companion. Share this message as much as possible”, said the text.

The law that defines the criteria and processes for the promotion of Armed Forces officers dates back to 1972, a period of hardening of the military dictatorship. It was sanctioned by General Emílio Garrastazu Médici.

The decree that regulates promotions dates back to 2001, a period in which then-president Fernando Henrique Cardoso (PSDB) took harsh measures to restrict budgets and restrict military benefits.

According to Army regulations, promotions are reviewed by the Officer Promotions Committee. The group is made up of 18 generals and chaired by the Army Chief of Staff.

The collegiate analyzes at least nine basic criteria, such as academic performance, performance in the positions held and management and leadership capacity.

Mauro Cid has been without a role in the Army since last September, when Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the STF (Supreme Federal Court), decided to release the soldier after he signed a plea bargain agreement.

In the decision, Moraes ordered Cid to wear an electronic ankle bracelet and appear weekly at the Criminal Execution Court. He also decided that the Army should leave Cid without a position during the progress of the award-winning collaboration.