Ecuadoran footballer Mario Pineida is shot dead in Guayaquil, as authorities launch an investigation amid escalating gang violence

Ecuadoran footballer Mario Pineida was shot and killed on Wednesday in the port city of Guayaquil, his club, Barcelona SC, and the country’s interior ministry have confirmed. The killing occurred amid escalating gang-related violence linked to drug trafficking in the city.

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Barcelona SC said in a statement posted on X that it had been officially notified of Pineida’s death following an attack against him in Guayaquil. The club expressed deep sorrow over the loss of the 33-year-old defender.

Pineida represented Ecuador during the 2018 and 2022 World Cup qualifying campaigns but was not selected for the squad that competed at the 2022 finals in Qatar.

He also played for Brazilian side Fluminense in 2022, building a career that spanned domestic and international football.

The interior ministry confirmed the killing and said a special police unit had been assigned to investigate the case.

Digital news outlet Primicias reported that Pineida was attacked by two assailants on motorcycles who opened fire, also wounding his mother and another woman.

Guayaquil has become a focal point of violent crime in Ecuador, with footballers increasingly targeted in recent months.

In September, three players from the country’s second division were killed, while another local footballer, Bryan Angula, was shot and wounded in October.

Ecuador, once regarded as one of Latin America’s safest countries, has emerged as a major transit route for cocaine moving from Colombia and Peru to international markets.

Guayaquil recorded about 1,900 murders between January and September, the highest figure nationwide, amid rising shootings, extortion, and car bombings.

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Pineida’s killing has renewed concerns over the growing insecurity facing public figures and professional athletes in the country’s most violent regions.