https://longeviquest.com/2026/07/costa-rican-woman-marta-rojas-arrieta-turns-111/
Marta Rojas Arrieta, a resident of Sabanilla, Montes de Oca, San José, Costa Rica, celebrated her 111th birthday on 30 July.
Rojas Arrieta was born in Santa Cruz, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, on 30 July 1915. She lost her mother at the age of one and was taken in by a neighbor who raised her during her early years until her grandmother Vitalia took over her care. Her grandmother was the one who taught her all the prayers she continued to use even as a centenarian before dawn. She married Fabio Carmona Briceño, and the couple had three children. Her husband passed away around 1992.
She attributed her longevity to an orderly and methodical life, combining a very healthy diet based on corn, regular physical activity, deep spirituality, and dozens of people—family, friends, and neighbors—willing to support and care for her with affection.
At the moment, she is the third-oldest (known) living person in Costa Rica, after Zoraida Montezuma and Bernabé Córdoba.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday, Ms. Rojas Arrieta! 🌻
ESO Correspondent for Portugal (since 2026)
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When the young commander of the guard declared his love for her, she rejected him simply because his frivolity startled her. "See how simple he is," she told Amaranta. "He says that he’s dying because of me, as if I were a bad case of colic."
-One Hundred Years of Solitude
Happy 111th birthday, Ms. Marta Rojas Arrieta 🌼