Juan Vicente Perez Mora, the latest title-holder of the Guinness World Record for the oldest living man, died aged 114 on Wednesday (Apr. 3) after only two years of holding on to the title.
CBS News reported that Perez died just weeks before his 115th birthday. He was the fourth oldest validated living person in the world and was reportedly the only man alive born before 1911.
At the time, he credited his longevity to "working hard, resting on holidays, going to bed early, drinking a glass of aguardiente every day, loving God, and always carrying him in his heart."
Immensely devout, Perez said that faith was central to his life, and he prayed at least twice daily," Guinness said in its obituary.
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Perez was born on May 27, 1909, in Venezuela to Euquitio Pérez and Edelmira Mora and died in the state of Tachira.
"Our dear Juan Vicente Perez Mora, today with deep sadness and pain we say goodbye to you, to that archetype of a man from Tachira, humble, hard-working, peaceful, enthusiastic about family and tradition," Tachira governor Freddy Bernal wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Perez had 11 children with his wife, Ediofina del Rosario Garcia, who died in 1997, and by the time he died, he had 42 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, and 12 great-great-grandchildren.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro also paid tribute to Perez on social media.
"Juan Vicente Pérez Mora has transcended into eternity at 114 years old," he said. "I send my embrace and condolences to his family and to all the people of El Cobre, Táchira state. May God receive him in his holy glory."
With Perez's death, the Gerontology Research Group said they are working to find the world's oldest living man. Contenders are Japanese Gisaburō Sonobe, born on November 6, 1911, and Brazilian Josias de Oliveira, born on October 21, 1911.
The group said both birth dates needed to be confirmed before the title could be awarded.
