Valencia: Ex-wife wants to ruin my image, stop me from seeing daughter
Enner Valencia responded Saturday to claims that he owes thousands of dollars in alimony to his ex-wife, accusing his former partner of trying to damage his reputation and prevent him from taking custody of their daughter.
Dramatic scenes Thursday showed Ecuadorean police chasing Valencia as he was rolled away in a medical cart.
Related - Watch: Valencia's medical cart outruns police amid unpaid child support claims
Officials attempted to apprehend the Everton forward upon his arrival at Ecuador's stadium in Quito for a vital World Cup qualifier against Chile, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
In a bid to avoid a post-match arrest, the 26-year-old left the game early after receiving treatment for what appeared to be altitude sickness.
His ex-wife contends he's deprived her of alimony around $17,000, but Valencia emerged from the shadows to tell his own side of the story.
The Daily Mirror's Alex Richards provided a translation of the player's Instagram post:
Coming from a humble and hardworking family, who since childhood have helped me to face all manner of difficult things that have been present throughout my life, managing to achieve the goals I have, raised from helping my father, selling milk in the streets, to my beginning with Club Sport Emelec, to become a professional player, but above all to be a person guided by God, it has allowed me to develop attributes to form a stable and happy marriage with my wife Sharon and my daughters.
However, I am currently facing several lawsuits initiated by Sinthyia Pinargote Chumo, which I perceive, they are aimed exclusively on matters of economic and personal gain, such as the demand for maintenance, presented in 2015, where I set the amount of $30,000 a month as alimony.
Within the last two years, despite spending a sum estimated to $100,000, for pensions of food, which can be verified on the website of the judiciary, she has prevented me strengthening my relationship with my daughter, because her mother prevents me from exercising any contact on my visits when I am in Ecuador.
After talking with my family, we have made the decision to file a lawsuit, seeking custody of my daughter Beira, aiming for her to come live and study in England, where I live now, so she can grow in a stable environment, with the necessary conditions for her development. That application was granted in December 2015, the judiciary bestowing me custody of my daughter Beira, and ensuring she received a monthly pension.
Valencia clearly feels aggrieved with the way he's been portrayed in the media: as a multimillion-dollar footballer who neglects his duties as a parent.
He also believes ex-wife Pinargote has used the alimony to purchase luxury cars and other material goods.
Valencia's current whereabouts are unknown, but he's expected to be in Everton's squad next weekend to face Manchester City.
He's yet to score a Premier League goal this season.