Overview
- Residents in Huancayo held a public birthday for Juanita Espinal Romaní with traditional palpa music, an orchestra, gifts and cake.
- Her national ID records a 1925 birthdate that makes her 102, but her family and neighbors say she was born in 1910 and is 116, and no independent review has resolved the gap.
- Reporters link the mismatch to a common practice in rural Peru where births were registered years later, which can distort ages and complicate access to state services.
- Espinal, originally from Quichcapata in Salcahuasi, now lives in the Viques district with her daughter and receives the Pensión 65 stipend and food baskets, while the local mayor provided the orchestra and lunch.
- Media draw parallels to the recent case of Marcelino “Mashico” Abad, underscoring public interest in very old age claims that often lack formal verification.