Jonathan Gonzalez killed in Ecuador at age 31, marking the third footballer murdered this month amid escalating gang-related violence

The 31-year-old winger, nicknamed “Speedy” Gonzalez, was shot inside a house in the coastal province of Esmeraldas, a region bordering Colombia and long troubled by drug gang rivalries.

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Authorities reported that Gonzalez suffered fatal gunshot wounds, while a second, unidentified victim also died while being rushed to hospital.

Although police have not released a motive for the killing, the crime adds to growing concerns about Ecuador’s escalating violence.

The country, sandwiched between Colombia and Peru the world’s largest cocaine producers has become a key departure hub for global drug trafficking.

Its homicide rate, once among the lowest in the region, surged from six per 100,000 people in 2018 to a record 47 in 2023, before dipping slightly last year.

Earlier this month, second-division players Maicol Valencia and Leandro Yepez of Exapromo Costa FC were shot in an armed attack in Manta.

Valencia was killed instantly, while Yepez succumbed to his injuries two days later. Their club said the assault was targeted at someone else.

Gonzalez, who played for second-division side 22 de Julio FC, had an international career that included spells at Olimpia in Paraguay and León in Mexico. His death has shocked Ecuador’s football community.

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The Ecuadorian Football Federation, along with local clubs, issued statements expressing condolences to Gonzalez’s family, describing his killing as a tragic loss for the sport.