He studied law in Buenos Aires and obtained his doctorate in 1868, became secretary of Dalmacio Vélez Sársfield and collaborated on the writing of the Argentine Civil Code, and was Treasury Minister under Nicolás Avellaneda (1876), later Interventor in Corrientes Province (1878) and Foreign Minister (1882) and Treasury (1883–1885) during the first Julio Argentino Roca administration.

Victorino de La Plaza was born on 2 November 1840, in Payagosta, Salta Province, Argentina.

He was the son of Jose Mariano Roque de La Plaza y Elejalde, and Maria Manuela Silva.

His brother was Rafel de La Plaza, who was governor of the province of Santiago del Estero.

He proved to be an outstanding student and thus, this allowed President Mitre to appoint him to the position of Second Clerk, of the National Accounting Office.

[1] He was chosen to be an assistant to General Julio de Vedia; a member of the Argentinian military with a prominent role against the Mapuches and in the Triple Alliance War, who was also Governor of the Chaco National Territory.