BIOGRAPHY

Candelaria Padilla was born in San Antero, Cordoba, Colombia on 4 October 1911, although she claims to have been born on 13 July 1911. Her parents were Manuel Padilla and Josefa Ladeut. She had 12 siblings.

At the age of 9, she moved to Cartagena and began working in a house in Bocagrande until she was 15 years old. However, at that time, she fell seriously ill and had to be hospitalized, leading her employers to send her back to San Antero. At the age of 18, she returned to La Heroica and continued working as a domestic worker. She had three children (including Etilsa Mena Padilla).

As of July 2021, she had three living children (two lived in Cartagena and the other in Riohacha), 12 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren. At the time, she lived in in Torices neighborhood of Cartagena.

Padilla passed away in Cartagena, Bolívar Department, Colombia, on 22 June 2023, at the age of 111 years, 261 days.

RECOGNITION

Her age was verified by Fabrizio Villatoro, Santiago García Medina, and Stefan Maglov, and validated by the LAS on 11 February 2023.

ATTRIBUTION

* “¡Feliz cumpleaños! Doña Candelaria celebra 110 años” – El Universal, 13 July 2021

GALLERY