The world has lost its oldest living man with the passing of Juan Vicente Perez from Venezuela at the age of 114, just 8 weeks shy of his 115th birthday.
Local officials paid tribute to Perez’s remarkable longevity and “optimism for life” that allowed him to witness over a century of history.
Guinness World Records confirmed Perez as the planet’s oldest male on February 4, 2022 when he reached 112 years and 253 days old. He had lived through two World Wars, the Cold War, and man’s first flight as well as the moon landing.
He spent 60 years married to his late wife Ediofina del Rosario Garcia until her passing in 1997.
Born on May 27, 1909, Perez attributed his incredible lifespan to a disciplined lifestyle.
“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,” he once said, were the keys to making it past 110.
Together, Perez and his wife raised 11 children – six sons and five daughters. He went on to have 42 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren over his lifetime. Perez celebrated becoming Venezuela’s first male supercentenarian at age 110 back in 2019.
Upon his death, the governor of Perez’s home state of Tachira, Freddy Bernal, paid tribute to his remarkable life on social media. “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.”
Bernal hailed Perez as “a symbol of goodness, wisdom and joy” whose “optimism in life” and community spirit would be dearly missed but never forgotten across the region.
Venezuelan president Nicholas Maduro also honored Perez’s historic longevity, stating “Juan Vicente Perez Mora has transcended into eternity at 114 years old, from the town of El Cobre he gave Venezuela the Guinness Record for being the oldest man in the world.”
With Perez’s passing, Guinness World Records said the world’s next oldest living man is expected to be Gisaburo Sonobe of Japan at age 112, pending confirmation from his family.
The Horn News editorial team