His name is Juan Vicente Pérez Mora, he’s Venezuelan, passionate about his faith, prays the rosary twice a day, and is in the Guinness World Records as the oldest man in the world.
Mora was born on May 27, 1909 and this year he turned 113 years old.
In an article published on May 17 on the Guinness World Records website, Mora said his secret to living a long life is to “work hard, rest on holidays, go to bed early, drink a glass of aguardiente (a strong liquor made from sugarcane) every day, love God, and always carry him in your heart.”
He says his family and friends are his greatest life companions and that the greatest thing he has learned in life is “the love of God, the love of family, and that we must get up early to work.”
According to the Guinness World Records, Mora was officially confirmed the oldest living man in the world on Feb. 4, 2022. You can watch a video about him below.
Mora was the ninth child of 10 born to Eutiquio del Rosario Pérez Mora and Edelmira Mora.
In 1914 they moved to Los Pajuiles, a village in San José de Bolivar. When Mora was 5 years old, he started to work with his father and siblings in agriculture, specifically coffee harvesting and sugar cane.
At 10, he began school but was only able to attend for five months because his teacher became very ill. However, Mora was able to learn how to read and write thanks to a book his teacher had given him prior to her health declining.
Mora was also a sheriff in Caricuena from 1948 to 1958.
He was married to Ediofina del Rosario García for 60 years. She passed away in 1997. The couple had six sons and five daughters. The family has now grown to include 41 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, and 12 great-great-grandchildren.
Among his family, Mora is known for his faith. He strives to build a solid relationship with God, his relatives, and he prays the rosary twice a day.
“My Uncle Vicente transmits a lot of peace, tranquility and radiates a lot of joy,” his nephew Freddy Abreu told CNA’s Spanish-language sister agency ACI Prensa. “He’s a person who has a lot to give. He enjoys the simple things in life and is very grateful to God.”
The oldest person in the world, and the oldest woman in the world, is French nun Sister Andre Randon who was born on Feb. 11, 1904. She is 118 years old. She became the oldest person in the world this year when Kane Tanaka, born Jan. 2, 1903, passed away on April 19, 2022.