Dr. Lucio Chiquito Caicedo, the oldest known living man in Colombia, celebrated his 110th birthday
The Gerontology Research Group (GRG) is pleased to announce that Mr. Dr. Lucio “Chiquito” Caicedo, the oldest known living man in Colombia, has celebrated his 110th birthday on 22 May 2026 in Medellin, Antioquia.
Lucio “Chiquito” Caicedo was born in Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, on 22 May 1916. As a child, he watched his father work on the Pacific Railroad, which made him interested and passionate about engineering. In 1941, he graduated from the Civil Engineering program of the Faculty of Mines of the National University in Medellin and received a bachelor degree on civil engineering.
At the age of 27, in 1943, he saw a newspaper advertisement promising to win a scholarship and study at the University of Manchester, England, in which he applied. Months later he arrived; it was difficult at the time since the city suffered from bombings during World War II. Despite all of this, he dedicated himself to his studies and in 1947 he submitted a research paper on hydraulics and graduated with a Master of Science and Technology degree.
In 1948 he married Ofelia Ramirez Jaramillo; they had 6 children together. Their marriage lasted for 67 years before his wife died in 2015.
In Colombia he co-founded the Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM) in 1955 and other companies like Integral S.A. in 1955, Sedic S.A. in 1971, Camacol in 1958, the School of Engineering of Antioquia in 1978 and the Rotary Club of Medellín. At the age of 73, in 1989, he applied for a doctorate to the University of Manchester, in which he was accepted.
In the early 2000s, he moved to Medellin, Antioquia, to permanently settle. In 2016, he was awarded the Don Juan del Corral Merit of Order in the gold category for his outstanding contributions for the progression of Antioquia.
At the age of 104, in September 2020, he submitted his doctoral thesis to the University of Manchester, finally earning his PhD. He credits his secret to long life with bathing with cold water, eating plenty of fruit and constantly reading and studying. According to him, he took refuge in discipline, perseverance and studying to achieve his dreams to succeed. Despite his old age, he is still very mentally active and supportive of Sedic, one of his companies.
On 23 December 2025, following the death of 110-year-old Adolfo Camacho Ripoll of Bolivar, he became the oldest known living man in Colombia.
In May 2026 he celebrated his 110th birthday and became a supercentenarian.
Lucio Chiquito Caicedo currently lives in Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia, at the age of 110.
Happy 110th birthday to Mr. Caicedo! We wish him good health and a long life!
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A sus 110 años, Lucio Chiquito Caicedo no solo es uno de los hombres más longevos de Colombia (Facebook Reels)