Juan Vicente Pérez, the oldest man in the world at an age of 114, has passed away with just a month before his 115th birthday.
Juan Vicente Pérez was born in Venezuela, on May 27, 1909, and was announced to be the world’s oldest living man on February 4, 2022. As a result, he surpassed the prior holder, Saturnino de la Fuente Garcia of Spain, who was 112 when he passed away.
Mr. Pérez attributed has his longevity to “working hard, resting on holidays, going to bed early, drinking a glass of aguardiente, a strong liquor, every day, loving God, and always carrying Him in his heart.”
Mr. Pérez was a former town sheriff as well as a farmer, who in 1937, married Ediofina del Rosario Garcia. Their marriage lasted for 60 years until she passed away in 1997. The couple together had 11 children in total, 6 sons and 6 daughters, and later on 41 grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren, then 12 great-great-grandchildren.
The Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, offered his sympathies in a tweet made on X. “Juan Vicente Pérez Mora has transcended into eternity at the age of 114 from the town of El Cobre that gave Venezuela the Guinness Record for being the longest-lived man in the world.” he wrote. “I send my hugs and condolences to his family and to all the people of El Cobre, Táchira state. May God receive him in his holy glory!”
Similarly, the governor of Tachira, Venezuela, the locality in which Mr. Pérez resided, also posted on X, “Our dear Juan Vicente Perez Mora, today with deep sadness and pain we say goodbye to you, to that archetype of a man from Tachira, humble, hard-working, peaceful, enthusiastic about family and tradition.” He added: “My old Don Vicente, we will always remember him for his optimism in life, for faith, hope and that deep love for our state of Tachira.” He will always be a symbol of goodness, wisdom and joy, which is why his legacy will live forever in our hearts and in our lives. Rest in peace, my dear old man, my Don Juan Vicente. We will never forget you.”
Written by Kevin Han
