Ecuador’s police reported on Tuesday that they are investigating the involuntary disappearance of player Pedro Pablo Perlaza.

Meanwhile, the popular club Liga de Quito, where he played four years ago, expressed concern about what it referred to as the news of the athlete’s kidnapping.

On its X account (formerly known as Twitter), the police stated that “due to the alleged involuntary disappearance” of Perlaza and Juan M. in the city of Esmeraldas, and following the formal complaint filed by their families, authorities immediately began “investigative and operational work around the incident.”

The Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Police is handling the investigation, according to the statement.

Last weekend, 33-year-old Perlaza had finished the Ecuadorian first-division season with the Delfín club and traveled to the city of Esmeraldas, located 182 kilometers northwest of the capital. His whereabouts have been unknown since Sunday. He had been part of Delfín’s 2019 Ecuadorian Championship-winning team.

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Liga de Quito, in a statement on X, expressed its “deep concern and solidarity over the news of the kidnapping of our former player” and extended its solidarity to the athlete’s family and friends. Perlaza played for Liga de Quito in 2020 and the team is set to play the first of two championship matches this weekend.

Esmeraldas province, whose capital bears the same name, is considered one of the regions where criminal groups have extended their control, engaging in activities such as extortion and kidnapping. Other provinces facing similar situations include Guayas and Manabí.

Since 2021, Ecuador has been experiencing a spiral of criminal violence driven by local groups linked to drug cartels from Colombia and Mexico, seeking to control trafficking routes and territories. One of the signs of conflict between local gangs is the frequent massacres in the country’s prisons.

A caravan of over 1,500 migrants that set out this week from Mexico’s southern border is facing a blockade by Mexican authorities, who are preventing them from leaving the state of Chiapas, which borders Central America.

Amid pressures from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump for Mexico to control the flow of migration, the group departed at 5:00 a.m. (11:00 GMT) from the municipality of Huixtla, moving slowly, with some migrants on bicycles and tricycles, flanked by the National Guard and municipal police.

The undocumented migrants, mostly from Venezuela, told EFE that officials from the National Institute of Migration (INM) have been monitoring their movements since their arrival in Huixtla, following them along the road. On Tuesday, the authorities attempted to detain a family, but the migrants prevented it.

The migrants are calling for understanding from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who last week assured Trump in a phone call that caravans “no longer reach” the U.S. border. Meanwhile, Trump has promised to impose a 25% tariff on Mexican products if the country fails to stop the “invasion” of migrants and drugs.

“President Sheinbaum should support us in reaching Mexico City, where there are more job opportunities, so we can wait for our ‘CBP One’ appointment (to apply for asylum in the U.S.) peacefully, because other states are more dangerous,” explained Venezuelan Genaro Cárdenas.

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Cárdenas, who is traveling by bicycle with a group of fellow Venezuelans, remains hopeful of reaching their destination despite the obstacles and the pressure from immigration officials to convince them to return to the southern border.

“We fear that we will be disbanded and sent back to Tapachula, but we will continue forward,” Cárdenas warned.

To enhance El Salvador’s ability to respond to fires during the dry season, U.S. authorities have donated specialized aerial equipment for firefighting.

The donation includes four “Bambi Buckets,” with a total value of $198,253.20. This contribution is part of the U.S. Humanitarian Assistance Program (HAP), led by the U.S. Department of Defense. The “Bambi Buckets” are large, collapsible devices designed to carry up to 360 gallons of water and are to be used by UH-1H and Bell 412 helicopters for firefighting efforts. These devices enable helicopter pilots to refill from water sources such as lakes, rivers, and ponds, reducing the need to return to a fixed base. This capability significantly improves operational efficiency by reducing the time between water drops, helping to prevent the spread of fires and minimizing their impact on communities and forest areas, U.S. authorities explained.

U.S. Ambassador William Duncan explained that the donation demonstrates the U.S. commitment to supporting the Salvadoran government in environmental protection and public safety. He also highlighted the partnership between the two countries in responding to natural disasters.

“This donation is a testament to our ongoing commitment to support the government of El Salvador in its mission to protect the environment and the safety of the Salvadoran people. It reflects the strong partnership between our countries and our shared dedication to combating natural disasters and protecting vulnerable areas from devastating fires,” said Duncan.