| Sofia Rojas | |
 Rojas at the age of 113 | |
| Birth: | 13 August 1907 Suaita, Santander, Colombia |
| Death: | 30 July 2022 Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia |
| Age: | 114 years, 351 days |
| Country: |  COL
|
| Validated | |
Sofia Rojas de Diaz [Spanish: Sofía Rojas de Díaz] (13 August 1907 – 30 July 2022) was a Colombian supercentenarian whose age is validated by Gerontology Research Group (GRG). She has the title of the oldest validated person ever from Colombia, and was also the oldest validated living person in Latin America from the death of Casilda Benegas on 28 June 2022, until her own death a month later.
Biography[]
Sofia Rojas was born on a small farm in Suaita, Santander, Colombia on 13 August 1907. She was the daughter of Carmen Rojas. She moved to Bucaramanga, Santander in 1957. She had four children. All her life, she worked as a Guarapo seller. Rojas was Catholic and very religious; she was particularly devoted to the Virgin of Candelaria. Her family and neighbours called her ''La Paloma'' (Spanish for ''the dove'').
In August 2017, she celebrated her 110th birthday.
She became the oldest known living person in Colombia, following the death of Juana Aritama on 21 May 2021.
On 12 October 2021, at the age of 114 years, 60 days, she surpassed the age of Carmen Emilia Jaramillo (1906–2020), becoming the oldest validated person ever from Colombia. Her age was verified by Santiago Garcia and Stefan Maglov, and validated by the GRG on 14 February 2022. At the time, she had three living children, 18 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren, and 16 great-great-grandchildren.
At the age of 114, she used a wheelchair to go out, but she could still walk slowly inside her house if helped by two people.
Her youngest sister, Brigida, is still alive at the age of 97, and currently lives in Suaita, Sofia's hometown.
Rojas became the oldest validated living person in Latin America, as well as the last known surviving validated person from Latin America born in 1907, following the death of Casilda Benegas on 28 June 2022.
Rojas died in Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia on 30 July 2022, at the age of 114 years, 351 days, just two weeks short of her 115th birthday. At the time of her death, she was the fifth-oldest validated living person in the world (after Lucile Randon, Tekla Juniewicz, Maria Branyas Morera, and Fusa Tatsumi). Following her death, Inah Canabarro Lucas became the oldest validated living person in Latin America, and Eusebio Quintero Lopez became the oldest validated living person in Colombia.
Gallery[]
References[]
- GRG World Supercentenarian Rankings List GRG
- DOÑA SOFÍA, LA MUJER MÁS LONGEVA DE BUCARAMANGA Oro Noticias on Facebook, 27 October 2020
- Mention, 3 June 2021
- 114th birthday, 13 August 2021
- Sofia Rojas, 23 August 2021
- Death mention El cartel de bucaramanga on Facebook, 30 July 2022
| Colombia's Oldest Living Person Titleholders (V • E) |
|
Transito Ayala • Benilda Ospino Altamar • Magdalena Hernandez • Clementina Saldarriaga Correa • Aurora Soto Rubio • Heroina Rivero Penaranda • Elvira Montoya Ordonez • Ana Sara Marquez de Ramirez • Alicia Castillo • Carmen Jaramillo Chavarria • Juana Aritama • Sofia Rojas • Eusebio Quintero Lopez • Efrain Antonio Rios Garcia • Francisca Mangonez Martinez • Alfonso Maria Rojas Perdomo |