Ecuadorian defender Pedro Perlaza was rescued and released after being kidnapped last weekend, the national police reported on Wednesday night (4).
Having been called up to the Ecuadorian national team three times and currently playing for Delfin, Perlaza and a friend left home on Sunday (1st) to attend a party in the coastal city of Esmeraldas, in the northwest of the country.
“This Wednesday, in Esmeraldas, the National Police of Ecuador released citizens Pedro P. and Juan M., considered kidnapped,” they said in a statement. “After information collection techniques carried out by the Anti-Kidnapping and Extortion Unit (UNASE), they were able to locate a house in a rural area, where the victims were being held captive.”
“The property where the kidnapped citizens were found was subsequently checked in order to protect them and return them to their families safe and sound,” it was reported.
Perlaza, 33, started two 2022 qualifiers against Colombia and Peru, helping them qualify for the 2022 tournament.
Ecuador has seen an increase in violent crimes in recent years. More than 7,000 violent incidents were recorded in 2023, an increase of almost 65% compared to 2022, according to reports from the National Police.
(Reporting by Anita Kobylinska in Gdansk, additional reporting by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez in Mexico City, editing by Ed Osmond)
