QUITO, Ecuador — A 16-year-old soccer player from the youth academy of Independiente del Valle was tragically killed by a stray bullet while at home in Guayaquil, as reported by police on Wednesday.
Miguel Nazareno was at home when he sadly fell victim to the widespread insecurity plaguing the nation, as highlighted by the soccer team in an Instagram post, referencing a surge in violence that has affected Ecuador for nearly five years.
“We offer our deepest condolences and unwavering support to his family, friends, and teammates during this trying time,” the post stated.
Nazareno, who played as both a midfielder and forward, was hit by crossfire, according to authorities.
He marks the fourth soccer player to be killed by gun violence in Ecuador this year. In September, Maicol Valencia, Leandro Yépez from Exapromo Costa, and Jonathan González from 22 de Junio also lost their lives to gunfire.
Both Exapromo Costa and 22 de Junio compete in the second division.
Nazareno was a member of the Under-18 team of Independiente del Valle. Several players from the Ecuadorian national team, who now play for European clubs, such as Moisés Caicedo (Chelsea) and Piero Hincapié (Bayer Leverkusen), originated from this academy.
Since 2021, Ecuador has witnessed a rise in violent crime associated with gangs working in tandem with Colombian and Mexican drug trafficking cartels.