Police Rescue Ecuadorian Footballer Perlaza After Abduction

Ecuadorian police announced late Wednesday that they had freed footballer Pedro Perlaza from his captors, who had abducted him earlier that week. According to Reuters, Perlaza, who has played three matches for the Ecuador national team and currently plays for Delfín in the top division, had left his home with a friend to attend a party in the coastal city of Esmeraldas in the northwestern part of the country.

The police said in a statement: “On Wednesday… in Esmeraldas, the Ecuadorian National Police rescued citizens Pedro P. and Juan M., who had been reported as kidnapped. Through the intelligence gathering techniques carried out by the Anti-Kidnapping and Extortion Unit, we were able to locate a house in a rural area… where they were held.”

Perlaza, 33, played as a starter in matches against Colombia and Peru in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, helping Ecuador qualify for the World Cup held in Qatar.