Flores Colque celebrated her 118th birthday last month. She is the oldest woman in Bolivia.
Following the death of a woman in Japan earlier this year, Flores Colque may now be the oldest
person in the world. Her national paper says Flores Colque was born on October 26, 1900 in the
mountains of Bolivia.
During her long life, Flores Colque has seen two world wars. Her home country of Bolivia had a
major revolution. And the town where she is from has grown from 3,000 people to 175,000. But
right now, Flores Colque seems mostly interested in her dogs and cats. She has not heard of the
Guinness Book of World Records, and she does not care whether experts confirm she is the oldest
person alive.
"She's always been active, easygoing and fun," says her grandniece, who lives with her in a
simple home with a dirt floor. Government officials have paid for some improvements to the house,
adding a brick path and railings so Flores Colque can walk safely. The mayor's office calls Flores
Colque part of the country's living history.
On the day a reporter visited, Flores Colque was playing a small guitar and singing old songs in
her native language. "If you would have told me you were coming, I'd have remembered all the songs,"
she joked.
When she was growing up, Flores Colque herded sheep in the Bolivian highlands. Then she moved to a
valley, where she sold fruits and vegetables.Those fruits and vegetables became her main food, and
she still eats a healthy diet-except for a piece of cake and a glass of soda sometimes. She never
married and does not have children. She cannot hear very well, but she is alert. Flores Colque's age
would make her interesting anywhere, but it is especially notable in Blivia. The United Nations says
the country has one of the South America's highest levels of death.