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Paraguay: Footballer Salvador Cabañas Recovering After Shooting

· Written by Eduardo Avila

Categories: Latin America, Mexico, Paraguay, Citizen Media, Law, Sport

In the early morning hours of January 25, Paraguayan footballer Salvador Cabañas [1] was shot in the head during an altercation in a Mexico City bar bathroom. The exact motive for the shooting is still unclear, but Mexican police is currently looking for a suspect.

Cabañas, who plays for the Club América in the Mexican First Division, was out with his wife when the incident occurred. After being rushed to the hospital, he underwent surgery, but doctors were unable to remove the bullet. Cabañas remains in critical conditions, but his condition is improving as he is already moving, eating, and speaking with relatives [2].

Much of the media coverage has mentioned Cabañas’ desire to return to the playing field [3] for his club team and the Paraguayan national team, which has qualified for the 2010 World Cup to be played starting in June.

Paraguayan blogger Carlos Rodríguez of Rescatar [es] writes [4], “let's support the man before putting business first.” He adds that there are too many people passing along sensationalist and irresponsible information:

Es una bendición la fortaleza del jugador que con una bala en el cerebro sorprende por su reacción al tratamiento pero, es preciso que los medios manejen el tema con sensatez. Es cierto, Cabañas vende. Vende camisetas, vente banderas, calendarios, DVDs, vende portadas, noticieros. Es un producto exitoso. Sin embargo cabe reclamar que no se exacerbe el costado mercantil y hagamos fuerzas porque la recuperación de Salvador avance cada día más.

It is a blessing to see the strength of a player with a bullet in his brain react to the medical treatment, but it is important that the media handles the subject with sensibleness. It is true, Cabañas sells. He sells jerseys, flags, calendars, DVDs, sells covers, news. He is a successful product. However, it is worth mentioning that we should make an effort and not exacerbate the commercial side because Salvador's recovery advances more and more each day.

There are much speculation on the motive whether it was a robbery or a fight, the dialogue between the two men, and the testimony provided by witnesses. Blogger José Angel Lopez Barrios writes [es] [5]:

Muchos cabos sueltos….. evidentemente hasta ahora no hay nada claro en la agresión contra Salvador Cabañas…. Y a medida que pasan las horas pareciera que las indagaciones tienden a orientarse en terrenos poco creibles.

There are many loose ends…. evidently to date there is nothing clear about the attack against Salvador Cabañas…and as the hours pass, it seems as if the investigations tend to be focused on implausible situations.

However, with news of his improving status, Rodríguez also has questions about the situation in which Cabañas placed himself [6].

¿Qué hace un futbolista de alta competición en una fiesta a las 5:30 de la mañana? Sobre todo exponiéndose a agresiones como las que hoy tienen a Salvador Cabañas entre la vida y la muerte. Y lamentablemente lo que hacía era precisamente correr un riesgo innecesario, a una hora en que el cansancio y el consumo han menguado la prudencia y la calma.

What is a high-performance footballer doing at a party at 5:30 in the morning? Above all, exposing himself to attacks like the one that left Salvador Cabañas between life and death. Unfortunately, what he was doing was running an unnecessary risk, at an hour that fatigue and consumption leaves one's judgment weakened.

There have been signs of support for the footballer at the recent Club América's match, back in his native Paraguay [es] [7], and on the internet [8].