QUITO, Ecuador — On Wednesday, Ecuadorian police reported that Mario Pineida, a 33-year-old defender for Barcelona de Guayaquil, was fatally shot in a violent incident as the situation in the country becomes increasingly unstable.
Authorities also confirmed the death of an unidentified individual and reported that another person was injured in the attack.
The Ecuadorian Interior Ministry verified Pineida’s passing but did not disclose further details. In a statement, Barcelona de Guayaquil expressed the sorrow of its fans over the loss.
Pineida began his professional career with Independiente del Valle from 2010 to 2015, before joining the Guayaquil club in 2016, where he secured two league championships. He briefly played for Brazil’s Fluminense in 2022.
According to Ecuadorian media, the shooting occurred in the Samanes area, located in the northern part of Guayaquil, which is approximately 265 kilometers (165 miles) southwest of Quito, the capital.
This year, Ecuador is projected to face its deadliest period on record with over 9,000 homicides, as reported by the Ecuadorian Observatory of Organized Crime. This follows last year’s total of 7,063 violent deaths and a then-record 8,248 in 2023.
President Daniel Noboa has committed to combating criminal organizations that have expanded their influence in Ecuador, linked to international drug trafficking networks.
In a related incident in November, a 16-year-old player from Independiente del Valle was killed by a stray bullet in Guayaquil. Additionally, two months prior, Exapromo Costa players Maicol Valencia and Leandro Yépez, along with Jonathan González of 22 de Junio, lost their lives due to gunfire.