Mario Pineida, 33, a defender for top-flight team Barcelona de Guayaquil, was killed in an apparent hit on Sunday morning. In addition, he was a long-time member of the Ecuador national team. The explosion took place in the area of Samanes, an area of northern Guayaquil, on Wednesday. His death puts a spotlight on Ecuador’s growing wave of violence. The country is on track to experience its most lethal year in recorded history, with more than 9,000 homicides reported.
Equipped with plethora of talents in which Pineida marked himself as one of the gems contributed to Ecuador’s beautiful football history playing in eight capes. He proudly captained his country through the qualifying campaigns to both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Yet he was not included in the squad that managed to qualify for next year’s 2026 edition, the first to feature an expanded 48 teams. He holds 114 caps for Ecuador and his last appearance came during the 2021 Copa America. In that tournament, he was introduced as a last-minute sub in a group-stage game versus Brazil.
Pineida first broke into the professional game with the now-famous Independiente del Valle where he played from 2010–2015. It was a surprise when in 2016 he came to Barcelona de Guayaquil. After moving to Barcelona, he won two league titles. He was involved in some important games, including the 2021 Copa Libertadores semifinal. In 2022, he played a short while for Brazil’s Fluminense as well.
The circumstances of Pineida’s death are still unknown, as Ecuadorian police acknowledged the death of a member of the force but offered no additional information. According to news reports, at least one other unnamed person was shot and killed with Pineida, and a third person was hurt in the assault. The recent intensifying violence has plunged Guayaquil into the ranks of the world’s most dangerous cities from gang-related violence, mainly due to drug trafficking. Along with these warning signs, in recent months a number of football players in Ecuador have been killed or threatened with violence.
Our nation is experiencing an unprecedented wave of violence. National authorities are increasingly losing patience with the deteriorating gang violence that poisons public safety and threatens communities across Ecuador and they should be. Sadly, Pineida’s untimely death took a turn that tragically highlights the dangers that athletes face. At the same time, it underscores the dangers that civilians face when they find themselves in the crossfire of organized crime.
