Visiting Izabel Rosa Pereira, 114, Brazil’s Oldest Living Person

On 16 August, LongeviQuest’s Brazil researcher, Iara Souza, traveled to Caputira, Minas Gerais, to meet the nation’s oldest living resident, 114-year-old Izabel Rosa Pereira.

Born on 13 October 1910, Dona Izabel was 114 years and 307 days old at the time of the visit. She has been recognized as the oldest living person in Brazil and South America since 30 April 2025, following the passing of 116-year-old Inah Canabarro Lucas. Currently, she is the fourth-oldest living person in the world.

Upon arriving in Caputira, our researcher, Iara Souza, first met with the mayor, Edgar Araújo, and later traveled to visit the nation’s oldest living resident in a rural zone of Caputira.

Dona Izabel welcomed her warmly. Although she suffers from severe visual impairment caused by cataracts—and cannot undergo surgery due to her advanced age—her vision is greatly limited. She also experiences some difficulty hearing. Even so, she remains active, engaged, and surrounded by the love of her family.

Interview

She was eager to share her life story. She spoke about her years on the farm, where she cultivated crops and raised chickens, and about meeting her husband, Antônio José Pereira, a widower at the time. Together, they raised a large family: his three children from the first marriage, whom she adopted as her own, and twelve children they later had together.

Dona Izabel expressed her joy in recounting her memories. She was curious to know how the visitors had heard of her and was moved to learn that she is recognized as the oldest living person in Brazil. She also shared her enduring faith and devotion to Our Lady of Aparecida, whose presence has been a guiding force throughout her life.

One detail about Dona Izabel is her lively and joyful way of speaking. When presented with flowers, she smiled and said she loves them—especially roses, which she used to grow in her youth. During the snack, she noted that one of her granddaughters—among her many grandchildren—had baked the tapioca starch biscuits served that day.

The visit also highlighted the devotion and care of her family. Present were three of her children and three granddaughters—one of whom is bedridden—all gathered on the lively family farm. There, they continue to grow coffee and beans and raise pigs and chickens, preserving the simple, authentic way of life that has defined Dona Izabel’s journey.

Health and habits

She recalled her most recent doctor’s visit, describing the tests she had undergone and noting that she now takes only medication for hypertension. According to her family, her appetite remains strong: Dona Izabel eats everything and continues to enjoy her home’s traditional cuisine, often prepared with pork fat—an ingredient that enriches the flavor and reflects ancestral practices long preserved in the family. Until recently, she herself carried on the custom of slaughtering pigs and dividing the meat among relatives, a tradition inherited from her grandfather and later continued by her son, Sebastião, always under her watchful guidance.

In a gesture of affection, the current mayor shared his own memories, recalling how Dona Izabel, when preparing pork, would always set aside a portion especially for him—an act that reflected both her generosity and her close ties to the community.

During the interview, Iara Souza presented her with a small gift—a mandala of Our Lady of Aparecida. She was also honored with a custom-designed LongeviQuest trophy, created by Iara Souza and Gabriel Ainsworth, in recognition of her status as the oldest living person in Brazil.

Izabel Rosa Pereira Recognized as Brazil’s Second-Oldest Living Person

Izabel Rosa Pereira, a resident of Caputira in the State of Minas Gerais, has been recognized by LongeviQuest as the second-oldest living person in Brazil. To mark the occasion, a commemorative plaque was presented to her. As of 16 March, at the age of 114 years and 154 days, she is also the seventh-oldest validated living person in the world.

Izabel Rosa Pereira was born on 13 October 1910, on the farm of her uncle, Antônio Inácio, near Caputira. She was the daughter of Manoel Pinto Moreira and Francisca Leocádia Moreira, and the fourth of five siblings.

Izabel Rosa Pereira married Antônio José Pereira. Antônio, a widower at the time, already had three children: José, 2 years old; Conceição, 6 years old; and Efigenia, 8 years old. Together, Izabel and Antônio had twelve children, nine of whom were still living as of February 2024: Lairdes, Maria, Manoel, Joaquim, Sebastião, João, Vincent, Francisca, and Helena. Izabel spent her entire life in Caputira. Over the years, the family acquired their own land, where they still reside today. She was widowed in April 2001.

As of February 2024, she also had 30 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, and 8 great-great-grandchildren.

She is currently the second-oldest person in the country whose age has been documented and validated by an organization specializing in the age verification of supercentenarians. She ranks second only to the world’s oldest living person, 116-year-old Inah Canabarro Lucas, a resident of Rio Grande do Sul.

In 2018.

Undated.

Aged 107 In 2018 (almost 108).