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News > Sport

Ecuador Soccer Player Caicedo Called 'Gorilla' by Journalist

  • Ecuador's Felipe Caicedo

    Ecuador's Felipe Caicedo | Photo: Reuters

Published 21 June 2017
Opinion

The racial slurs occurred during a discussion about the upcoming World Cup qualifying match between Peru and Ecuador.

Phillip Butters, a radio and TV sports journalist from Peru, called 28-year-old Ecuadorean soccer player Felipe Caicedo a “gorilla” who could transmit Ebola last week.

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The racial slurs occurred during a discussion about the upcoming World Cup qualifying match between Peru and Ecuador, according to Remezcla.

After referring to the Ecuadorean national soccer team as"crocodiles," Butters suggested that Caicedo be submitted to a DNA test, where it would be revealed that he “was not a human, but a monkey, a gorilla.”

“If the (players) bite you, you'll get Ebola,” Butters concluded.

Caicedo, who received ample support from fans and former Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa, responded to the racial epithets by tweeting:

“Thanks to everyone who has spoken out against racism, it is clear that this man does not represent Peru. He only represents the lack of values — the complex and hate of someone who suffers for others. Say no to racism.”

Ecuador's national soccer team, affectionately know as La Tri, stepped onto the world stage in dramatic fashion in 2002 when they, against all expectations, qualified for the World Cup for the very first time. Their team, composed primarily of Afro-Ecuadoreans, sparked debate about identity, geography, the far-reaching effects of the transatlantic slave trade and research, and oral traditions, that delve deep into the annals of a rich, diverse history that preceded European arrival and influence over the Americas.

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