Colombia’s Oldest Living Man, a Local Legend, Shares Secrets to a Long Life

On July 30, 1913, in the rural town of Cocorna, Antioquia, Julio Enrique Saldarriaga Hernandez was born into a Colombia that was still finding its footing as a modern nation. This past summer, Julio turned 112, officially recognized by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) as the country’s oldest living man and one of just two verified supercentenarians in Colombia. To put it in perspective, GRG records confirm that only 49 people in the entire world are older than him today.

Julio’s longevity has turned him into a living puzzle not only for his community in El Carmen de Viboral (a municipality in the department of Antioquia, east of Medellin) but also for scientists worldwide who study supercentenarians — those rare individuals who surpass 110 years of age. Researchers often ask: What happens inside the brain of someone like Julio? How does he continue to recall memories, form sentences, and share stories despite the expected decline in neurons and the atrophy of the hippocampus that comes with extreme old age?

The truth, as neuroscientists have highlighted in studies reported by outlets such as The New York Times, is that many supercentenarians defy conventional wisdom about healthy living. While modern society emphasizes strict diets, daily exercise, and carefully managed wellness routines, the oldest humans on record often lived modest, imperfect lives. They worked hard, faced adversity, indulged in their fair share of vices, and yet somehow outlasted the average by decades. What they usually had in common was not material wealth but strong social ties and resilient spirits. Julio’s story fits that mold.

As a child, Julio began working at just 10 years old, hauling wood, cutting lumber, and burning coal in the hills of eastern Antioquia. The harsh fumes alone could have destroyed the lungs of most, yet Julio endured. He recalls jokingly that his cure for the effects of smoke and heat was a splash of aguardiente, applied both to his skin and throat. Later, he shifted to producing “tapetusa,” a traditional homemade liquor, spending long days fermenting panela (cane sugar) in giant gourds and distilling under grueling heat. Even while joking that he once crossed paths with the devil himself during those mountain treks, Julio kept going, making a living and weaving resilience into his very being.

At 17, Julio met Maria Calista Garcia, the woman who would become his lifelong companion. Their courtship stretched five years before marriage, despite the disapproval of her father. By 1935, they were spouses, starting a family that would eventually grow into 19 children and nearly 180 descendants, spanning children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. Maria lived to be nearly 100 herself, passing away 12 years ago, leaving Julio surrounded by a vast, loyal family network that remains central to his daily life.

The science and soul of longevity: what Julio teaches us about living beyond a century

When it comes to explaining Julio’s remarkable life span, science and personal narrative intertwine. On the scientific side, researchers point to genetics. Studies from institutions such as the University of Chicago suggest that certain protective genetic factors slow down the shrinking of the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus — regions of the brain responsible for memory and learning.

In supercentenarians, scientists often find unusually large clusters of neurons, forming a kind of cognitive reserve that shields against Alzheimer’s and dementia. Though Julio has never undergone genetic testing, the longevity in his family is telling: his father lived to 75 at a time when life expectancy in Colombia was only about 50, his mother reached 90, and his wife nearly made it to 100. His younger brother is still alive at 95, while his eldest daughter is 88. Such patterns suggest a genetic reservoir of resilience.

But science alone doesn’t tell the full story. Julio’s habits and relationships matter just as much. Up until the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, he walked daily through the streets of El Carmen de Viboral with independence and pride. When mobility declined, his family — particularly his daughter Ubiter and granddaughters Nelly and Marleny — stepped in.

They accompany him on strolls, wheel him into his favorite bars to enjoy a small glass of rum and keep him engaged with music like Antonio Aguilar’s La Martina. This continuous connection to community and family is no small thing. In fact, sociologists warn that loneliness has become a “silent epidemic” worldwide. In Colombia, the national statistics agency DANE reports that 34.7% of Colombians say they lack a reliable support network. Julio’s experience is the opposite, his life is woven into the social fabric of El Carmen, where he has become a celebrity of sorts, greeted warmly by strangers and neighbors alike.

Medical journals confirm that after age 80, strong social bonds can be one of the most decisive factors in extending life expectancy. Julio is proof of that. His personality — cheerful, humorous, and rarely bitter — has created an environment where care and affection flow naturally around him. In many ways, his biggest “secret” is not a miracle diet or fitness regimen but the fact that he is never truly alone.

Researchers in Colombia are beginning to pay closer attention. In 2024, a consortium of universities in Medellin, including the Universidad Nacional, Universidad de Antioquia, and EAFIT, completed the country’s first full genome sequencing of centenarians. These studies aim to combine genetic data with environmental and lifestyle information to unlock predictive medicine that could one day anticipate diseases decades before they appear. Julio may never be directly studied, but his story provides exactly the kind of living evidence scientists hope to learn from.

And yet, Julio himself insists there is no real mystery. He still enjoys rum, still laughs at the memory of sneaking kisses from his teenage sweetheart, and still takes joy in the simple things: a walk, a story, a song. His words echo what longevity experts often conclude after decades of research: it isn’t perfection that leads to long life, but resilience, community, and the ability to keep going despite hardship.

In Colombia today, more than 19,000 people are over the age of 100. But reaching 112 is a rare feat anywhere in the world, a combination of biology, fortune, and human spirit. For Julio, it is also the product of faith, family, and a life lived fully, even in hardship. After sharing his life story, he often leans back with a smile and asks if there’s time for another glass of rum. The answer from those around him is always the same: of course there is, Don Julio, may there always be.