Ecuadorean soccer player Mario Pineida fatally shot

Mario Pineida, an Ecuadorean footballer, lost his life after being shot in Guayaquil, the bustling port city, on Wednesday, according to statements from his team.

The city of Guayaquil has turned into a focal point for violence perpetrated by gangs involved in drug trafficking, with multiple footballers from Ecuador falling victim in the past few months.

Aged 33, Pineida contributed to Ecuador's national squad during the qualification campaigns for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, though he did not earn a place in the final roster for the 2022 tournament in Qatar. Additionally, he featured for Fluminense during 2022.

Barcelona SC, his current club, shared a message on X expressing profound grief over the official confirmation of player Mario Pineida's passing, which resulted from an assault targeting him in Guayaquil.

The interior ministry verified Pineida's demise and has deployed a dedicated police team to investigate the incident.

According to digital publication Primicias, the assailants were two individuals on motorcycles who fired upon Pineida, his mother, and an additional woman.

Back in September, three athletes from Ecuador's second tier league met tragic ends, including one reportedly connected to gambling in sports. Just a month later, Bryan Angula, a local player, sustained injuries from gunfire.

Once regarded as one of Latin America's more secure nations, Ecuador now serves as a vital pathway for cocaine moving from major suppliers in Colombia and Peru to global markets.

Incidents of car explosions, gunfights, and demands for protection money have surged in Guayaquil, which saw 1900 homicides from January through September, marking the nation's deadliest record.