Marcelino Abad Tolentino, a farmer affectionately known as Mashico and believed to be the oldest person on the planet, has died at the remarkable age of 125 years and 300 days. His passing occurred just five days before he would have celebrated his 126th birthday, marking the end of an extraordinary life spent entirely in a remote Peruvian village.
Discovery During the Pandemic
Mashico lived in complete isolation for most of his life, without electricity, running water, or official documentation. He was only discovered by the Peruvian government during the Covid-19 pandemic through the Pension 65 programme. This initiative issued him his first-ever identity document and provided a state pension, transforming his later years.
Following his discovery, he quickly became a nationally celebrated figure in Peru. The state pension he received was paid directly to a nursing home to cover his accommodation, medical care, and meals, ensuring he had support in his final years.
A Life of Hardship and Resilience
Born in 1900 in a remote village in Huánuco Province, central Peru, Mashico endured extreme hardship from a young age. He lost his parents early and was raised as an orphan, facing poverty throughout his life. He tended his own plot of land by hand and bartered his produce with fellow villagers, living outside official systems for decades.
He never married, did not have children, and relied solely on a small oil lamp for light in his isolated home. His resilience and simple lifestyle may have contributed to his longevity, though he faced challenges such as a serious hip injury from an accident after joining the pension scheme, which left him dependent on a wheelchair.
Lack of Official Recognition
Despite being widely considered the oldest man in Peru and possibly the world, Mashico never received official recognition from Guinness World Records. This was due to a lack of documentation over the years, which complicated the application process initiated by the Peruvian government two years ago.
Officials from the Pension 65 programme revealed that requirements for birth documentation made the application difficult to complete. According to Guinness World Records, the oldest man ever was Juan Vicente Pérez Mora, who died in 2024 at 114, and the current oldest living man is 113-year-old Brazilian João Marinho Neto.
The oldest living person globally is Ethel Caterham from the UK, aged 116. Mashico's story highlights the challenges in verifying extreme ages in remote communities, yet his legacy as a symbol of endurance and simplicity remains intact.
