In 1982, Alves was appointed as an advisor to Portuguese President Ramalho Eanes. Alves later reached the rank of Colonel before transitioning into the army reserves in 1991, then retiring in 2001. Alves died from cancer at the Hospital Militar in Lisbon, Portugal, on 9 January 2011, at the age 75. He had been hospitalized for a period of time. His colleague, Otelo de Carvalho remembered Alves as ""...an extremely important figure. He was always very moderate, always insisting that we should be realistic. And his arguments convinced us. He was a diplomat, and a gentleman to boot.""