Peruvian Farmer Marcelino Abad Tolentino Passes Away at 125, Claimed as World's Oldest Man
Marcelino Abad Tolentino, a man believed to be the oldest person in the world, has died at the remarkable age of 125. He passed away peacefully in his sleep at a care home in Peru on Monday, just five days before he would have celebrated his 126th birthday. Known affectionately as Mashico, he was born in the year 1900, making him the oldest man in Peru and potentially the most elderly individual globally.
Lack of Official Recognition by Guinness World Records
Despite his incredible age, Mr Tolentino never received official recognition from Guinness World Records as the world's oldest person. This was due to an absence of necessary documentation to verify his birthdate. Consequently, the formal recordholder remains Ethel Caterham from Lightwater, Surrey, who was born in 1909 and is currently 116 years and 222 days old. She holds the title as the oldest British person in recorded history and is the last known survivor born in the 1900s decade.
Life of Isolation and Poverty in Remote Peru
Mr Tolentino lived his entire life in an isolated rural village in Peru, raised as an orphan and never having a family of his own. He endured extreme poverty for most of his years, cultivating his land manually and trading agricultural goods with other villagers. His home lacked basic amenities such as electricity and running water, with only a small oil lamp providing light. Incredibly, he remained unknown to authorities until the Covid-19 pandemic, when he was discovered through Peru's Pension 65 programme, which supports impoverished individuals over 65 without pensions.
Rise to National Prominence and Documentation Challenges
After receiving his first ID card and a state pension, which enabled him to move into a care home, Mr Tolentino became a nationally recognised figure in Peru for his exceptional longevity. The Peruvian government initiated efforts two years ago to register him as the world's oldest man with Guinness World Records. However, officials reported that the process could not be completed because he could not produce the required birth documentation. Shortly after moving to the care home, he suffered a hip injury in an accident, leaving him wheelchair-bound.
Global Context of Longevity Records
The oldest man ever recorded was Juan Vicente Perez Mora from Venezuela, who died in April 2024 at 114 years and 311 days. Currently, the most elderly man alive is 113-year-old Joao Marinho Neto from Brazil. In a notable exchange, Mr Marinho Neto sent a congratulatory message to Ethel Caterham on her 116th birthday in August last year, marking the first documented interaction between the world's oldest verified woman and oldest verified man.
