LongeviQuest Visits the World’s Second-Oldest Living Man

On August 20, 2023, the LongeviQuest team had the privilege of visiting Mr. Efraín Antonio Ríos García, who holds the distinction of being the world’s second-oldest living man and the oldest living individual in Colombia.

Representatives from LongeviQuest América, Fabrizio Villatoro from Mexico, and Santiago García Medina from Canada, had the honor of visiting Mr. Ríos García in his hometown of Itagüí, Antioquia, Colombia. Their visit was warmly welcomed by the kind family of the oldest living Colombian, with over 20 family members in attendance. A representative from the city of Itagüí also joined the gathering to pay respects to the nation’s most senior resident. During this significant occasion, our team presented Mr. Ríos García with two certificates, acknowledging his status as the second-oldest living man globally and the oldest living person in Colombia, and also a bouquet of flowers. The representative of LongeviQuest America; Mr. Villatoro spoke directly with Mr. Ríos García, who expressed that he was very glad that our team was visiting him and Mr. García Medina asked him about his youth and he even remembered the full names of his parents, demonstrating the good memory he still has. Efraín drank champagne, brandy and coke to celebrate such an occasion, since he felt very glad to be one of the oldest living people in the world.

Mr. Ríos García was born on April 4, 1910, in the countryside of Fredonia, Antioquia Department, Colombia. He married Herminia Uribe, with whom he had 18 children. Among those present during the visit were five of his children, including Mrs. Nidia Ríos Uribe, who played a pivotal role in facilitating the visit and collaborated closely with the LongeviQuest team to officially validate her father’s remarkable age. Mr. Ríos García occasionally enjoys a glass of aguardiente, a tradition that, according to his family, lifts his spirits during moments of unease. Throughout the visit, each of his children delivered heartfelt speeches, expressing gratitude for their father’s longevity and celebrating the extraordinary journey of his life.

His family claims that he is the nucleus of the family. His eldest granddaughter expressed that “he is a very good person, very loving, not envious at all and who has always acted in a good deed, and possibly this has helped him live longer.”

The trait of longevity runs in his family; his older brother Francisco passed away in 2011 at the age of 106. Just days before the visit, on August 15, Mr. Ríos García surpassed the final age of Mr. Eusebio Quintero López, solidifying his position as the oldest Colombian man with validated age credentials, as confirmed by an expert organization specializing in age verification. Not only is he the second-oldest living man worldwide, trailing only 114-year-old Juan Vicente Pérez Mora of Venezuela, but he also holds the distinction of being the second-oldest verified living person in Latin America and stands among the 20 oldest living individuals globally.

LongeviQuest extends heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Ríos García’s family for their warm hospitality and graciousness in opening their home to our representatives. It was a privilege for all of us. We join in wishing Mr. Ríos García continued health and happiness, eagerly anticipating the celebration of his 114th birthday.

The kind family of Mr. Ríos García expressed their gratitude to our team for the visit by giving them as gift a book about his life as well as various photos from different stages of his life.

LongeviQuest deeply thanks and appreciates Mr. Ríos García’s family to give LongeviQuest permission to visit him, particularly his daughter Nidia Ríos Uribe.

We deeply appreciate and thank to our photographer Mrs. Solángel (@docusol_) for the beautiful photos.