Ramiro Castillo

Ramiro Castillo Salinas (March 27, 1966 – October 18, 1997) was a football midfielder who was capped 52 times and scored 5 international goals for Bolivia between 1989 and 1997. He made one substitute appearance at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

Nicknamed "Chocolatín" by the colour of his skin, Castillo was born in Coripata, a small town in the sub-tropical Yungas region. His first professional team was The Strongest, club with which he always identified. From there he went to play successfully in the Argentine football, defending the colors of Instituto de Córdoba, Argentinos Juniors, River Plate, Rosario Central and Platense. He set a record for the most appearances in the Argentine league by a Bolivian player with 152 games, he scored 10 goals in Argentina too.

Later in his career he returned to Bolivia where he played for The Strongest and Club Bolívar.

Castillo represented his country in 13 FIFA World Cup qualification matches and he played at the Copa América 1997, where Bolivia were runners-up after losing 1-3 in the final against Brazil. Castillo missed the final game due to the sudden death of his 7-year old son José Manuel to fulminating hepatitis.

Castillo never recovered from his son's death and committed suicide by hanging himself in his home in La Paz in October 1997. He was only 31 years old and was survived by his wife María del Carmen Crespo and their children.

The Bolivian football association announced a month of mourning after his death, and the derby game between his former clubs The Strongest and Bolívar was postponed. In Argentina there was a minutes silence at the game between his former club Platense and Gimnasia de Jujuy where the players wore black armbands.