Ecuadorian footballer Jonathan “Speedy” González was shot and killed on Friday in what police say is the third murder of a professional athlete in the country since the beginning of September.
The 31-year-old former international was attacked inside a house in the coastal province of Esmeraldas, a region bordering Colombia and heavily impacted by rival drug trafficking gangs. Authorities confirmed he died from multiple gunshot wounds.
A second, unidentified victim also died en route to the hospital.
Police have not released a motive for the killings, and no arrests have been reported.
González, who previously played for clubs including Olimpia (Paraguay) and León (Mexico), most recently featured for second-division Ecuadorian team 22 de Julio FC.
Ecuador, located between Colombia and Peru — the world’s largest cocaine producers — has become a key drug export corridor. Authorities estimate that 70% of the global cocaine supply now departs through Ecuadorian ports.
As a result, the country has seen a dramatic rise in violence. The homicide rate soared from 6 per 100,000 people in 2018 to a record 47 per 100,000 in 2023, before slightly declining to 38 in 2024.
Esmeraldas, in particular, has become a hotspot of turf wars between criminal organizations vying for control of trafficking routes.
González’s murder follows the September 10 attack on second-division players Maicol Valencia and Leandro Yépez of Exapromo Costa FC in the coastal city of Manta.
Valencia was killed at the scene, while Yépez died of his injuries two days later. The club stated the players were not the intended targets of the assault.
The Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF) and several local clubs have expressed shock and condolences following González’s death, mourning the loss of a player who once represented Ecuador at international level and had a notable career in Latin America.
