Quito, Ecuador – Ecuadorian international defender Mario Pineda, 33, was shot and killed in the coastal city of Guayaquil on Wednesday, his club Barcelona SC announced.
Guayaquil, which has seen a surge in gang-related violence and drug trafficking, has recently become a target for footballers. Pineda, who represented Ecuador at the 2018 World Cup, was not called up for the 2022 tournament. He also spent the same year on loan at Brazilian club Fluminense.
The club confirmed via a post on the X platform: “It is with deep regret that we inform you of the death of our player Mario Pineda following a shooting incident.” The club asked fans to pray for him and his family.
For his part, the Ecuadorian Interior Minister announced the formation of a special police unit to investigate the incident. This came after the news website Primicias reported that the attack was carried out by two people on a motorcycle, and that Pineda’s father and another woman were also injured.
This incident comes after months in which other players in Ecuador have been targeted. Among these incidents were the deaths of three second-division players last September. A month later, player Bryan Angulo was also injured. Ecuador, once considered one of the safest countries in Latin America, has become a major transit hub for cocaine between Colombia, Peru, and global markets. Guayaquil recorded 1,900 homicides between January and September, the highest rate in the country.
