Cuba is home to 2,000 people who have lived for over a century, a trend that is puzzling experts
- There are currently 2,070 centenarians in Cuba – a country where the average life expectancy is 79.5 years and public monthly salaries are about US$30
- People point to the family-oriented culture of Cubans as a possible answer to a trend that has puzzled experts, some of whom doubt the accuracy of the centenarian population
Looking into a mirror, Delia Barrios applies blush and lipstick – she wants to look her best for her 102nd birthday celebration, where she will be surrounded by loved ones.
“I don’t feel like I’m this old. I have a family … that loves me a lot. That helps me to feel good,” said Barrios, who had been diagnosed with colon cancer when she was in her 60s.
She defied the odds and then left Cuba in 1993, when the island nation was in the throes of a major economic crisis, for the United States, where her son lives.
But two decades later, Barrios suffered several falls and her doctor said she could no longer live alone.
Barrios – who says she “danced a lot” when she was younger, smoked and drank on occasion – came home and moved in with her granddaughter Yumi, who is now 59.