Luis Diaz’s father has been freed after being kidnapped by the National Liberation Army (ELN) in Colombia. The ELN is a long-standing insurgency group in Colombia, and the government has accused them of taking Diaz’s parents, Luis Manuel Diaz and Cilenis Marulanda hostage.
Otty Patino, the chief peace negotiator with the ELN, revealed that Diaz’s father’s release was the work of a faction within the ELN.
While Diaz’s mother was rescued early on, efforts to locate his father were made, fearing that he might have been taken across the border to Venezuela. Fortunately, he has now been released.
Liverpool expressed their joy at the news, and the Colombian Football Federation also conveyed their gratitude to the government and security forces for their efforts.
Gustavo Petro, the president of Colombia, celebrated the news of Diaz’s father’s release with a post on social media.
The ELN had previously demanded security assurances from the Colombian government before releasing Diaz’s father. They stated that they faced difficulties carrying out the release due to intense search operations by government forces in the area.
After scoring in a match, Diaz revealed a message on his shirt calling for his father’s freedom. He then made a passionate appeal for the safe return of his father, expressing the anguish his family was going through.
Liverpool’s next match will be against Toulouse in the Europa League.
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The kidnapping of Luis Diaz’s parents that left Liverpool ‘fighting for Lucho’
(Photo: Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images)
