[9][10] Alencar grew up in his father’s vast estate in Fortaleza, where he was trained as a soldier in the State Militia of Ceará like most aristocratic youths in the Brazilian Empire.

Although he would mostly work as a diplomat from 1854 onwards, by the 1890s, after the fall of the Brazilian monarchy, Alencar had established himself a leading legalista in Imperial Brazil.

According to one of his colleagues, João da Silva Carvalho, “his commitment to justice and the rule of law earned him several prestigious appointments, including as a judge of the Supreme Federal Court (a post he held between 1894 and 1898), where he made significant contributions to the development and refinement of the Brazilian legal system.”[13] Alencar's diplomatic career began soon after his legal studies ended.

Despite initially planning to join the legal bureaucracy of Brazil, he was appointed first class attaché in a diplomatic mission to Portugal in late 1854.

He spent a year in the court of Portuguese King Pedro V, where he was a part of crucial commercial negotiations that softened the tense relations between the Rio de Janeiro and Lisbon.

This mission ultimately failed when the government of José María de Achá was ousted in December 1864, after which Alencar was recalled.

Well received by Mariano Melgarejo, Alencar was encouraged to remain permanently in Bolivia and in charge of the Brazilian legation in La Paz.

[17] He would return to Bolivia in 1871 for his wedding with Gregoria Eloísa Ayoroa Deheza, a lady from a very wealthy and prominent family in La Paz.

On 22 December 1879, acting as Resident Minister of His Majesty the Emperor of Brazil, he signed an agreement with Bolivia regulating the reciprocal execution of letters rogatory, which came into force on 15 October 1880.

[20][21] After the death of Joaquim José Inácio, Viscount of Inhaúma, the seat of the State of Amazonas in the Chamber of Deputies had been left vacant.

His dedication to public service, his legal prowess, and his diplomatic achievements left an indelible mark on Brazil's history.

His contributions are remembered as instrumental in shaping the legal and diplomatic foundations of the country during a crucial period of transition and growth.

He is also remembered as having been a crucial figure in the life of his brother, the poet and writer José de Alencar, who influenced his own writing.