Ecuadorian footballer Jonathan “Speedy” González has been killed in a gun attack, becoming the third player murdered in the country since the beginning of September.
Police confirmed that the 31-year-old midfielder died from gunshot wounds after an assault inside a house in Esmeraldas, a coastal province bordering Colombia that has become a hotspot for violent clashes between rival drug gangs.
A second victim, whose identity has not yet been disclosed, also died while being rushed to hospital. Authorities have not revealed the motive behind the attack.
Rising Violence in Ecuador
Ecuador, situated between the world’s two largest cocaine producers — Colombia and Peru — has become a major drug trafficking hub, now serving as the departure point for nearly 70% of the global cocaine supply.
The surge in gang-related violence has driven the country’s homicide rate from 6 per 100,000 in 2018 to a record 47 in 2023, before easing slightly to 38 in 2024.
Other Players Targeted
On September 10, second-division players Maicol Valencia and Leandro Yepez of Exapromo Costa FC were shot during an armed assault in the coastal city of Manta. Valencia died at the scene, while Yepez succumbed to his injuries two days later. The club later said the players had been victims of an attack aimed at another target.
A Career Across South America
González, who most recently played for the second-division club 22 de Julio FC, had earlier stints with Olimpia in Paraguay and León in Mexico.
The Ecuadorian Football Federation and several local clubs have expressed condolences to González’s family, mourning the loss of a player once regarded as one of the country’s most promising midfield talents.
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