Ciria Martínez Rodríguez was a Mexican supercentenarian who was the oldest (known) living person in the State of Oaxaca at the time of her passing.
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BIOGRAPHY
Martínez Rodríguez was born in San Pedro Pochutla, Oaxaca, Mexico, on 3 August 1915 (although her family initially believed she was born in 1908). Ciria Martínez’s family had limited means, which prevented her from accessing an education. At a young age, she began working selling bread and as a domestic worker.
She used to sell hams, cocadas, and tamarind balls in the plaza of San Pedro Pochutla, the town where she spent most of her life. She was described as a diligent woman who built a hardworking family with strong values.
At 17, she had her first partner, Leo Clement Salinas, of French origin. They met and decided to live together in the fourth section of San Pedro Pochutla, Oaxaca. At age 18, she had her first daughter, Eusebia Salinas Martínez (1934-2000). At 21, she met Mauro Pacheco Hernández, a merchant from the coast. They began a relationship, and then her second daughter, Graciela Pacheco Martínez, was born in 1937. At 24, her third daughter, Albina Villalobos Martínez, was born in 1940.
At 25, she began making the well-known cocadas (sweet candies), made from coconut, water, and sugar, and jamoncillos (small candies), made from coconut, panela, and water. She would go out to sell them in the evenings at the market and in each of the neighborhoods of San Pedro Pochutla.
She loved coffee with bread. Her favorite foods were chepiles, guias, purslane, fried meat, free-range chicken, beans, molcajete sauce with cheese, and pork. She never tried beef. Dairy products and soda were also not to her liking.
Ciria Martínez smoked from her youth until she was 95. At 95, she had an accident while selling goods. A motorcycle hit her, which prevented her from working for a while. She later returned to her life as a merchant, but with certain limitations, as her age prevented her from making more efforts. Due to this accident, she taught her granddaughters, María and Graciela, how to cook regional candies, under her supervision.
At 110, she had two surviving daughters, 11 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, and 15 great-great-grandchildren. She enjoyed continuing to drink her coffee with bread and eating her chicken tacos, which are very well-known in Pochutla.
Ciria Martínez Rodríguez passed away in San Pedro Pochutla, on 8 August 2025, five days after her 110th birthday.
RECOGNITION
Her age was verified by Stefan Maglov, Fabrizio Villatoro and Jeffrey Xu, and validated by LongeviQuest on 7 August 2025.
ATTRIBUTION
* “Nuestra Presidenta del DIF Mary Velasco visitó hoy a doña Siria por motivo de su cumpleaños llevándole un pequeño detalle…” – Facebook (DIF Pochutla), 3 August 2019
* “Quién no recuerda los riquísimos jamoncillos, cocadas y bolas de tamarindo que doña Siria vendía en la plaza todo los días.” – Instituto de la cultura y las artes Pochutla 2022-2024, 3 August 2020
* “Sin duda alguna tía Siria Martínez Rodríguez es una mujer ejemplar para el pueblo pochutleco…” – Facebook (Saymi Pineda Velasco), 3 August 2020
GALLERY
On her 93rd birthday in 2008. (Courtesy of the family).
At the age of 93, in 2008. (Courtesy of the family).
Undated. (Courtesy of the family).
On her 104th birthday. (Courtesy of the family).
In August 2019, aged 104. (Source: Facebook/DIF Pochutla)
On 2 August 2025, a day before her 110th birthday. (Courtesy of the family).
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