By Cordy Brown, Science Correspondent
Published: April 07, 2025
Meet Marcelino “Mashico” Abad Tolentino—a pint-sized Peruvian farmer who’s barely 4’3″ tall but might just be the biggest deal in longevity. The spry senior celebrated what’s claimed to be his 125th birthday on Saturday, April 5, surrounded by carers at a modest care home in Cochachinche, near Huanuco, Peru. If his age holds up, this tiny titan could topple records and become the oldest human ever, leaving the rest of the world wondering: What’s his secret?
Born in 1900 in the remote mountain village of Chaglla, Mashico’s life sounds like something out of a history book. He’s lived through two world wars, the rise of the internet (which he’s never touched), and more Peruvian presidents than anyone can count—30, to be exact. Orphaned at seven after his parents drowned crossing a river, he never went to school, instead learning to thrive off the land. “Fruits, lamb, and a good chew of coca leaves,” he’s said to swear by, according to locals. Oh, and don’t forget the daily avocado—his carers say he won’t start the day without one.
Mashico’s big day was a blowout at the Casa Hogar Mis Abuelitos care home, where he’s lived since 2022. Photos show the 125-year-old grinning as he blew out a single candle on a massive cake—topped with a figurine of himself, naturally. The Peruvian government, which tracked him down in 2019 and gave him an ID listing his birth as April 5, 1900, is pushing hard to get him crowned by Guinness World Records. If they pull it off, he’d dethrone Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who died at 122 in 1997, and leave current titleholders—a 116-year-old Brazilian nun and a 112-year-old Brazilian farmer—in the dust.
“He’s a tough little guy,” said Dolores Pérez, the care home’s cook, who whips up his beloved avocado breakfasts. “He’s outlived pandemics, wars, and a life with no electricity—calls his garden the ‘Eden’ that kept him going.” Mashico, who never married or had kids, spent over a century off the grid, tending crops and livestock in the Andes’ rugged heights. At nearly 10,000 feet above sea level, maybe it’s the thin air—or the lack of Wi-Fi—that’s kept him kicking.
Guinness hasn’t stamped its approval yet, and skeptics wonder if the records are legit. But in Peru, there’s no doubt—Mashico’s a national treasure. “He’s survived everything and still smiles,” said a government rep from the Pension 65 program, which brought him into the spotlight six years ago. “We’re betting on him to take the world title.”
So, what’s next for the 4’3″ farmer? More avocados, a quiet life, and maybe a nod from the record books. For now, Mashico’s just happy to keep defying the odds—one bite at a time.
