Who is Colonel Lawand, whose appointment was annulled – 06/16/2023 – Power

The commander of the Army, General Tomás Paiva, decided to annul the appointment of Colonel Jean Lawand Junior to the Diplomatic Representation of Brazil in the United States, in Washington.

The measure comes after the Federal Police identified a series of messages in which the military suggested to Jair Bolsonaro’s (PL) former assistant, Mauro Cid, that he help the then president to “give an order” for action by the Armed Forces against the election of Lula (PT).

Colonel Jean Lawand Junior is currently supervisor of the Strategic Astros Program at the Army Projects Office, the General Staff of the Force.

Lawand graduated from Aman (Military Academy of Agulhas Negras) in 1996, with the best grade among the cadets of the Bicentennial class of Inconfidência Mineira. During the four years of formation, he was at the side of the current governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio Freitas.

During his career, the colonel worked in areas related to missiles and rockets, a curriculum that qualified him to take over the supervision of the Astros Program, considered one of the main strategic projects of the government.

According to generals interviewed by the SheetLawand was one of those tipped to be promoted to brigadier general in 2025, for having already assumed command positions and for his positions in the military training classes.

The promotion period would be close to Lawand’s return from the US. In February, Tomás Paiva signed an ordinance designating Lawand for the mission abroad as of January 2, 2024.

The annulment of the movement would be a way to guarantee that the military is in Brazil while the investigations are ongoing.

In one of the conversations, Colonel Lawand forwards a message from a friend who claims to have met with General Edson Skora Rosty.

Deputy commander of Army Land Operations at the time of the messages, Rosty would have assured the interlocutor that the Land Force would comply with any intervention order if received. Still according to this report, the general would have considered that the Army would do nothing without an order from Bolsonaro because the movement would be seen as a coup.

The three-star general was retired from the Army in April of this year, after the High Command of the Force decided to promote a more modern soldier than Rosty to the position of General of the Army (four stars).

He was the one who sheltered Cid in the Land Operations Command after the Army decided that he would not assume command of the Goiânia battalion.

In Rosty’s case, the internal decision is not to open any proceedings against the general, as he is in reserve and the case is considered a rumour. To Veja, the military said he did not remember the conversation cited by Lawand.