World's oldest man passes away at 114
Venezuelan Juan Vicente Perez Mora, certified in 2022 by Guinness World Records as the oldest man in the world, died on Tuesday at the age of 114, officials and relatives said.
"Juan Vicente Perez Mora has transcended into eternity at 114 years of age," Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on social media platform X.
Perez was officially confirmed as the oldest man alive on February 4, 2022, when he was 112 years and 253 days old, according to Guinness.
A father of 11, as of 2022 he had 41 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren. He was married for 60 years to Ediofina del Rosario García until her passing in 1997.
The farmer known as Tio Vicente was born in the town of El Cobre, in the Andean state of Tachira on May 27, 1909, and was the ninth of 10 children.
"At the age of five years old, he started working with his dad and brothers in agriculture and assisted with sugar cane and coffee harvesting," a Guinness statement from 2022 said.
Perez went on to become a sheriff and was responsible for resolving land and family disputes, while still working in agriculture.
The farmer told Guinness that he had longevity due to "working hard, resting on holidays, going to bed early, drinking a glass of aguardiente every day, loving God and always carrying him in his heart."
"It’s been an honor to recognize and celebrate the incredible long life of Venezuela’s first ever fully authenticated supercentenarian man. Not only was Sr. Perez Mora his country’s oldest citizen and the first South American recognized by GWR as the oldest living man, he is now history’s fourth oldest male whose age has been officially ratified. How remarkable to think that we’ve just said goodbye to a man born before Louis Bleriot flew across the English Channel!" Guinness editor-in-chief Craig Glenday said. (AFP)