José Flores-Flores, a resident of Sardinal District in Carrillo Canton, Guanacaste Province, recently celebrated his 119th birthday.

According to the National Civil Registry, the government agency responsible for recording all births and deaths in the country, Flores was born on July 11, 1907, in Cañas Canton, Guanacaste Province.

Costa Rican authorities have recognized Flores as the country's oldest living citizen, a distinction that could lead to his official recognition by Guinness World Records as the oldest living person.

Flores' family told local media they are in the process of submitting his official birth records so his age can be independently verified by Guinness World Records international authorities.

The supercentenarian currently lives in surrounded by his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

According to relatives, he remains remarkably active and continues to carry out many daily activities independently. He walks without assistance, speaks fluently, feeds himself, has an extraordinary memory and is an accomplished domino player.

The National Civil Registry reported that Delgado was born on March 10, 1900, in San José City , San José Province and died on May 11, 2021, at a nursing home in Santa Ana Canton, in San José.

Although his family and nursing home staff initiated the process to have his age officially recognized, Guinness World Records ultimately did not validate his claim.


The current Guinness World Record for the world's oldest living person is held by British citizen Ethel Caterham, who is 116 years old.


According to the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC), the country's life expectancy is approximately 81 years. Men have an average life expectancy of 78 years, while women are expected to live about 83 years.

Those figures place Costa Rica among the countries with the highest life expectancy in Latin America. The country is also home to the Nicoya Peninsula, internationally recognized as one of the world's five Blue Zones, where residents are known for their exceptional longevity.

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