Ecuadoran footballer Mario Pineida was shot and killed on Wednesday in the port city of Guayaquil, his club confirmed.
Guayaquil has become a hotspot for gang violence linked to drug trafficking, and several football players in Ecuador have been targeted in recent months.
Pineida, 33, was part of Ecuador’s national team during the 2018 and 2022 World Cup qualifiers, though he was not selected for the 2022 finals in Qatar. He also played for Brazilian side Fluminense in 2022.
Barcelona SC, his club, expressed deep sorrow in a post on X, stating it had been “officially notified of the death of our player Mario Pineida, following an attack against him” in Guayaquil.
The Interior Ministry confirmed his death and said a special police unit had been assigned to the case. According to digital outlet Primicias, Pineida was attacked by two individuals on motorcycles, who opened fire on him, his mother, and another woman.
Violence targeting footballers is not new in Ecuador. In September, three second-division players were killed, one allegedly linked to sports betting. In October, local footballer Bryan Angula was wounded in a shooting.
Once considered one of Latin America’s safest countries, Ecuador has become a key cocaine transit hub between top producers Colombia and Peru and global consumers. Car bombings, shootings, and extortion have surged in Guayaquil, which recorded 1,900 murders between January and September, the highest toll in the country.
AFP
