EL CARMEN, MANABÍ, ECUADOR – JUNE 14, 2025 Several armed men stormed into a restaurant where 39-year-old Santiago Rodríguez Zambrano – a lawyer and president of the El Carmen University sports club Liga Deportiva Universitaria de El Carmen – was having lunch. Without any questions or warnings, they started shooting. Santiago and his personal bodyguard were shot dead. Three football players were injured: Jonathan Lucas, Cholo Vergara, and Byron Delgado.
Santiago Rodríguez Zambrano
According to all available reports, Santiago had met with several of his players at the restaurant to celebrate a recent victory in a second-division match. Who was behind the attack is still unknown. The attackers used high-caliber weapons, indicating it was a well-planned operation. The police mention a possible connection between the club and organized crime, or it could have been a personal vendetta.
