Overview

• Pedro Perlaza, a 33-year-old defender for Delfin SC and former Ecuador national team player, was rescued along with a friend after being kidnapped on Sunday in Esmeraldas province.
• The police located the hostages in a wooden shack in a rural jungle area near the Colombian border, following investigative efforts by the Anti-Kidnapping and Extortion Unit.
• A firefight broke out during the rescue operation, with the kidnappers fleeing after exchanging gunfire; several suspects were reportedly injured, and three were later arrested.
• The kidnappers had demanded a $60,000 ransom for the release of Perlaza and his friend, who were both found barefoot and described as having been mistreated but alive.
• This incident highlights Ecuador's escalating violence tied to drug trafficking, with the country's homicide rate surging from 6 per 100,000 in 2018 to 47 in 2023.