BIOGRAPHY

Rosalina Vargas Solano was born in the district of San Rafael in La Unión canton, in the Cartago province of Costa Rica, on 28 February 1896. She was known as Chalina and was a devoted follower of Our Lady of the Pillar (La Virgen del Pilar). She never married and had no children. In her youth, she dedicated herself to sewing and served as a prayer leader in her community, offering novenas and leading prayers for children.

Although she spent most of her life in Tres Ríos, she moved to Curridabat around 1998 to live with her niece, Melitina Barquero. In 2003, she transitioned to a nursing home. In December 2004, at the age of 108, it was reported that she still retained a sharp memory and a good sense of humor.

Rosalina Vargas Solano passed away in Curridabat, San José Province, on 12 June 2006, at the age of 110 years, 104 days.

During the 2010 Costa Rican general election in February of that year, some media outlets mistakenly reported her as the oldest living registered female voter in the country, even though she had already passed away.

RECOGNITION

Her age was listed as pending validation by the Latin American Supercentenarians (LAS) organization on 12 January 2020.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Siglos para ser recordados” – La Nación, 8 December 2004

* “Votante más viejo tiene 117 años y vive en Río Segundo de Alajuela” – Prensa Libre, 5 February 2010

* “Rosalina Vargas Solano, hija predilecta del cantón de La Unión.” – Biblioteca Pública de Tres Ríos, 5 March 2024

GALLERY