Interesting that the New York Times picked up the story of Venezuela withdrawing diplomatic immunity for Dwight Sagaray, the diplomat who is being charged in Kenya of murdering the Venezuelan Ambassador to that country.
The story is one 0f those strange stories of the Chavez revolution. Sagaray, a lawyer, was teaching English in Caracas as recent as 2008, then appears teaching maritime law a local university in 2009 and holds a position in the Labor Ministry soon after that and just like that, via a mysterious process, is named First Secretary of the embassy in Kenya. A minor position, but as the article notes, it used to be you had to be a career diplomat to reach even that position in what is for Venezuela a minor Embassy. But somehow Sagaray managed it, sponsored by someone who has yet to be identified.
The Venezuelan Ambassador at the time, left the post earlier this year, accused of sexual harassment and Mr. Sagaray all of a sudden was the top diplomat in Kenya, even moving in into the Amabassador’s residence. Only in Chavez’ revolution do people rise so fast.
But the drop came soon after that, as a career diplomat was named Ambassador and she came and began fighting with Mr. Sagaray. There are stories about diplomatic pouches arriving directly to Sagaray, but it is only innuendo so far. Then, on July 26th., two weeks after arriving in the country, the Ambassador was killed and Kenyan police accused Sagaray. Within 24 hours, the Venezuelan Government, which has always defended its officials accused abroad, removed immunity from Sagaray. This was done so fast, that it is amazing that it was done solely because there had been little time to gather all facts.
Unless, of course, the new Ambassador had been named to intervene into something that was happening at the Embassy in Kenya, with the tragic result of the Ambassador´s death. Of course, the Venezuelan Government has said very little, but it is interesting that that angle had barely been noted by the local press.
Like so many other cases, Sagaray’s rise and fall under the revolution was just as swift as his drop. The surprise and mystery in his case is why he was left without protection so fast. The Government obviously knows, but will the full story ever be known?
The Devil's Excrement 