Peru’s Andean mountains may hold the key to longevity and the world’s oldest person if state officials’ recent claim of a 124-year-old man born in 1900 is proven to be true. According to the country’s authorities, Marcelino Abad, a resident of Huanuco in central Peru, is 124 years old, making him the oldest living person and possibly the oldest ever independently verified.
124-year-old Marcelino Abad is possibly the oldest ever independently verified human
“Among the tranquility of the flora and fauna of Huanuco, Marcelino Abad Tolentino, or ‘Mashico’, developed a healthy way of life and inner peace, reflected in his good health and friendly personality,” according to a press release from the government.
“This allowed him, with resilience and skill, to overcome 12 decades of life, and on April 5th, he just blew out 124 candles.” Peruvian authorities said they are assisting Mr. Abad in submitting his application to Guinness World Records for independent verification.
“Guinness World Records receives many applications from individuals who claim to be the oldest living person,” a spokeswoman for the organization told Reuters in a written statement. To verify the claim, an expert team would examine official records and other evidence to “prove their achievement beyond doubt.”
The Guinness Book of World Records currently shows the oldest living man as a 111-year-old Briton who took the title this month following the death of a Venezuelan man at the age of 114. The oldest surviving woman is 117, and the oldest person ever verified was 122.
Abad, who was born in the small village of Chaglla, had been living off the radar until the Peruvian government found him in 2019, granting him a government ID and pension.
Abad, who celebrated his 124th birthday on April 5, claims his secrets to vitality include a diet rich in fruits and lamb meat, according to a statement issued by the pension program.