Independiente Del Valle Academy Player Killed By Stray Bullets In Ecuador

JAKARTA - A 16-year-old soccer player from the young academy Independiente del Valle named Miguel Nazareno was shot dead by a stray bullet at his home, in the port city of Guayaquil, Ecuador, on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, local time.

Miguel Nazareno was at home when he unfortunately became a victim of the insecurity that hit his country.

"We extend our deepest condolences and all our support to our family, friends and teammates during this difficult time," Independiente del Valle's statement on Instagram described a wave of criminal violence that began in Ecuador nearly five years ago.

According to local police, Nazareno - who played midfielder and forward - became a victim of stray bullets.

Nazareno became the fourth footballer to be shot dead in Ecuador this year. In September 2025, Maicol Valencia and Leandro Yepez, both from Exappromo Costa, and Jonathan Gonzalez from 22 de Junio were killed.

Both Exappromo Costa and 22 de Junio are teams in the second division of the Ecuadorian league.

Nazareno plays for the U-18 team Independiente del Valle. Several Ecuadorian National Team players who play for European clubs, such as Moises Caicedo (Chelsea) and Piero Hincapie (Bayer Leverkusen), are graduates of Independiente del Valle.

Since 2021, Ecuador has experienced an increase in criminal violence by gangs operating in collaboration with Colombian and Mexican cartels involved in drug trafficking.