‘World’s oldest woman’ celebrates upcoming ‘123rd birthday’ in Brazil

A woman believed to be the oldest person in the world has celebrated her upcoming 123rd birthday in Brazil.

Amantina dos Santos Duvirgem, 122, has celebrated her upcoming 123rd birthday with cake in Parana State, Brazil, at a party organised by the state’s civic officials.

Ms Duvirgem’s pension records show she was born on 22 June 1900, making her the oldest living person in the world.

She was seen eating a slice of cake at the party in the hall of the Chapel of Sao Sebastiao on Friday.

She was first issued with a birth certificate when she started collecting her state pension, but her claim is currently not recognised by Guinness World Records. 

She was seen eating a slice of cake at the party in the hall of the Chapel of Sao Sebastiao on Friday

She was first issued with a birth certificate when she started collecting her state pension, but her claim is currently not recognised by Guinness World Records

The delay may be because her birth certificate was only issued when she applied for her pension, and the exact date was confirmed in a process that included taking statements from four people, all of them aged more than 70.

The current official record holder as the world’s oldest person is American-Spanish Branyas Morera, who turned 116 years old on March 4 this year.

The 116-year-old was handed the title following the death of French nun Sister André, 118, this year.

Ms Morera was born in San Francisco, United States, in 1907, and moved to Catalonia, Spain, as a child. She has spent the last 22 years of her life in a nursing home there.

Ms Morera, who has three children, 11 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren, attributes her old age to ‘order, tranquility’ and ‘staying away from toxic people’. 

And despite her age, she is active on social media, frequently posting on Twitter with the help of her daughter. She is also a keen piano player.

Its current record holder as the world’s oldest person is American-Spanish Branyas Morera (pictured), who turned 116 years old on March 4 this year

Responding to her record-breaking age, she wrote on the micro-blogging site: ‘Sorry for not responding individually. 

‘I am surprised and grateful for the expectation generated by the fact that I am the oldest living person in the world. 

‘Thank you very much to everyone for the interest shown, although I have not done any merit. These days have been very overwhelming.’

She added she would not be responding to any more journalist requests for interviews, adding she needed ‘peace and tranquillity’.

Ms Marero survived the Spanish Influenza pandemic, the Spanish Civil War, and both World Wars.

She also fought off Covid-19 just weeks after celebrating her 113th birthday in 2020 – recovering in a matter of day.

Marero, pictured on her wedding day in 1931 aged 24, has survived two world wars, a civil war and two pandemics