According to reports, the wife and child of Jackson Rodríguez, an Ecuadorian footballer and player of Emelec Guayaquil, were kidnapped from the player’s home on Wednesday.

Ecuadorian police stated: “Unidentified individuals forcibly entered the player’s home in the early hours of Wednesday morning, stole valuable items and cash, and abducted the footballer’s wife and child.”

It has also been reported that Jackson Rodríguez was unharmed during the incident and is currently under police protection. Authorities have launched an investigation to locate the whereabouts of the player’s family.

Emelec has remained silent regarding the current situation of their left winger. The abduction occurred in the coastal city of Guayaquil, the capital of Guayas province—one of the regions most affected by violence and criminal gangs. Ecuador has been in a state of “internal armed conflict” since January 2024.

Following this declaration, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa labeled criminal groups as “terrorists,” stating that these groups, linked to drug trafficking, are the primary cause of high violence rates in the country.