HAVANA—Benito Martinez Abrogan, Cuba's oldest person and star of the government's efforts to promote healthy lives for its oldest citizens, died on Wednesday.
He was said to be 126, but there was no definitive proof of his age, as he had no birth certificate.
"He died this afternoon. He had been in intensive care, but old age was the main problem," said an official at Ciego de Avila Hospital in central Cuba.
Martinez, who attributed his longevity to a healthy diet of fresh vegetables, some meat and only occasional consumption of alcohol, was born in Haiti in 1880 and migrated to Cuba to work on sugar cane plantations in 1925, according to his Cuban documents.
He was not regarded as the world's oldest person because he did not have official documentation. Guinness World Records says a 116-year-old American, Elizabeth Bolden of Tennessee, is the oldest known person alive.
Martinez had a weak heart and used a cane to walk, but did not wear glasses and his hearing was good.
Edited by The Epoch Times.
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