5 ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁Al cal ay ▁was ▁then ▁Venezuela ' s ▁Amb assador ▁to ▁Brazil ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁Al cal ay ▁became ▁Venezuela ' s ▁P erman ent ▁Represent ative ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁Nations , ▁and ▁presented ▁his ▁credentials ▁to ▁UN ▁Secretary ▁General ▁K of i ▁Ann an . ▁Al cal ay ▁was ▁also ▁elected ▁Chair man ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁Nations ▁Committee ▁on ▁Information ▁that ▁month . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁Vice ▁Chair man ▁of ▁the ▁Dis arm ament ▁and ▁International ▁Security ▁Committee ▁of ▁the ▁UN ▁General ▁Assembly ' s ▁ 5 6 th ▁Session . ▁ ▁He ▁res igned ▁as ▁Venezuela ' s ▁Amb assador ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁Nations ▁in ▁March ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁to ▁protest ▁Venezuela ▁President ▁Hugo ▁Ch á vez ' s ▁policies , ▁saying ▁that ▁the ▁actions ▁of ▁Venezuela ' s ▁National ▁Elect oral ▁Council ▁" rob ▁Venez uel ans ▁of ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁effect ▁change ▁through ▁the ▁dem ocr atic ▁process ", ▁and ▁that ▁Venezuela ▁was ▁being ▁subject ed ▁to ▁army ▁and ▁police ▁repr ession ▁and ▁un accept able ▁loss ▁of ▁life , ▁and ▁that ▁peace ful ▁protest ▁was ▁no ▁longer ▁possible . ▁Only ▁two ▁days ▁prior ▁to ▁his ▁res ignation , ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁appointed ▁Venezuela ' s ▁Amb assador ▁to ▁London . ▁ ▁Academia ▁Al cal ay ▁has ▁published ▁seven ▁books ▁and ▁a ▁number ▁of