Bogota: Colombia’s government announced on Friday that the father of Liverpool striker Luis Diaz was released, 12 days after his kidnapping in the north of the country by members of the guerrilla group National Liberation Army, or ELN.
The release was announced by a government delegation currently in peace negotiations with the group.
A girl holds a sign with the image of Luis Manuel Diaz, father of Colombian soccer star Luis Diaz.Credit: AP
Luis Manuel Diaz’s kidnapping on October 28 in the small town of Barrancas quickly drew international attention. On Sunday, the younger Diaz appealed for his father’s release after scoring for Liverpool in a Premier League match, revealing a T-shirt saying “Freedom for Papa” in Spanish.
It was initially unclear who carried out the abduction. But the government announced last week that it had information that Diaz was kidnapped by an ELN unit.
The ELN later acknowledged the kidnapping, saying it was a mistake and that the group’s top leadership had ordered the elder Diaz’s release.
An ELN statement said that the planned release was hampered by military deployments and that it couldn’t guarantee a safe release under those circumstances. The Colombian military said on Monday that it was shifting its positions to facilitate a release.
Diaz’s both had been kidnapped by armed men on motorcycles at a gas station in Barrancas. But the soccer player’s mother, Cilenis Marulanda, was rescued within hours by police who set up roadblocks around the town of 40,000 people, which is near Colombia’s border with Venezuela.
After the kidnapping, special forces were deployed in the area to search for Diaz’s father in a mountain range that straddles both countries and is covered by cloud forest. Police also offered a $US48,000 reward for information leading to him.
The 26-year-old striker is one of the most talented players on the Colombian national team. He joined Liverpool in a deal worth $US67 million ($105 million).
AP