World's oldest man, Juan Vicente Pérez Mora, dies weeks before 115th birthday

Juan Vicente Pérez Mora had 11 children, 42 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, and 112 great-great-grandchildren

Juan Vicente Pérez Mora was born on May 27, 1909. Picture: Guinness World Records

The world’s oldest man has died at the age of 114, the governor of the Venezuelan state in which he lived has confirmed.

Juan Vicente Pérez Mora, who was born on May 27, 1909, passed away earlier this week. He would have celebrated his 115th birthday later this month.

In a post on X, the governor of the state of Táchira in Venezuela, Freddy Bernal, described Mr Perez Mora as the “archetype of a man from Táchira, humble, hard-working, peaceful, enthusiastic about family and tradition”.

"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 Táchira.” 

Mr Bernal said the supercentenarian would “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."

Nuestro querido Juan Vicente Pérez Mora, hoy con profunda tristeza y dolor nos despedimos de usted, de ese arquetipo de hombre tachirense, humilde, trabajador, apacible, entusiasta de la familia y la tradición. pic.twitter.com/ohiPzrsWgD

— Freddy Bernal (@FreddyBernal) April 3, 2024

Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro also posted a tribute saying that Mr Pérez Mora had “transcended into eternity at 114 years old”.

"From the town of El Cobre, he gave Venezuela the Guinness World Record for being the oldest man in the world.

"I send my hug and condolences to his family and to all the people of El Cobre, Tachira state,” he wrote in a post shared on his social media channels.

Señor Pérez Mora was officially confirmed by Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest man on February 4, 2022, following the death of the previous record-holder, Saturino de la Fuente Garcia, in Spain, on January 18 that year. Señor del la Fuente was 112 years and 341 days old when he died.

Living to the age of 110 is extremely rare, with only one in 1,000 centenarians reaching this milestone. Indeed, only seven people, including Mr Pérez Mora, have been verified as having lived to this age.

In an interview with Guinness World Records, Mr Pérez Mora put his longevity down to working hard, going to bed early, resting on holidays, and "drinking a glass of aguardiente every day, loving God, and always carrying him in his heart".

He was married to Ediofina del Rosario García for more than six decades until her passing in 1997. They had six sons and five daughters together. The couple also had 42 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, and, remarkably, 12 great-great-grandchildren.