LIVERPOOL FORWARD LUIS DIAZ’S FATHER FREED, TWO WEEKS AFTER BEING KIDNAPPED BY COLOMBIAN GUERRILLA GROUP
Liverpool forward Luis Diaz’s father has been released following a kidnapping in his native Colombia, Blu Radio Colombia confirmed on Thursday.
A helicopter took off at around 10am local time and headed to a meeting point between La Guajira and Cesar, the rendezvous location in which guerrilla group, National Liberation Army (ELN), was supposed to hand over Diaz’s father. The release was facilitated by the United Nations Humanitarian Mission and the Catholic Church in Colombia.
Diaz’s parents were abducted in the family’s hometown, Barrancas, by armed men on motorcycles at a petrol station on the 28th of October before Cilenis Marulanda, Diaz’s mother, was rescued by police a day later. Colombian police reported that they had started a “major military search” to locate the player’s father and the government announced a reward of up to 200 million pesos for any information on Diaz’s father’s whereabouts.
The 26-year-old Liverpool forward took some time off and was absent for the club’s Premier League match against Nottingham Forest at home on 29th October. Diaz was supported by his Liverpool teammates in absentia, with Portuguese forward Diogo Jota holding up Diaz’s #7 shirt in solidarity to him during a goal celebration.
“It was clear we had to give the game an extra sense and it was fighting for Lucho,” Liverpool head coach Jürgen Klopp said after the match.
Diaz ended up playing in this past weekend’s bout against Luton Town and scored a late equalizer, earning Liverpool a much-needed point away from home. The Colombian international’s celebration thereafter included a revealed message on his shirt that asked the guerrilla group, ELN, to release his father. “Freedom for my father,” the words read in Spanish.
Colombian police had reported on the 31st of October that they had focused their search on a mountain range between the border of Colombia and Venezuela, with the country’s Attorney General, Francisco Barbosa, confirming that they had obtained information “regarding the possibility that [Diaz’s] father could be in Venezuela.”
On November 2nd, the National Liberation Army announced they would release Diaz’s father “as soon as possible, with the process already starting.”
Diaz’s father was released a week later, traveling by helicopter to the city of Valledupar, where he underwent a medical examination before being returned to his family. Health authorities in Valledupar confirmed that Luis Manuel “Mane” Diaz was in a good state of health, with no signs of mistreatment.
As per Colombian newspaper, El Tiempo, Diaz’s neighborhood was filled with tearful supporters, and family members took to their cars and drove through the streets in celebration. Many of the concerned onlookers were dressed in jersey no. 23 Liverpool shirts, bearing Luis Diaz’s name and number from last season.
“We are delighted by the news of Luis Diaz’s father’s safe return,” said Liverpool via Twitter. “We thank all those involved in securing his release.”
Colombia’s Football Federation, FCF, released a statement showing gratitude to all the parties that helped secure Diaz’s father’s release saying the game is “passion in peace.”
“The Colombian Football Federation thanks the National Government, the Military and National Police Forces, as well as all the institutions and officials who made possible the release of Luís Manuel Díaz, father of our player Luis Díaz,” the statement read.
“Soccer as a sports discipline symbolizes talent, dedication, teamwork and the intrinsic values of the human being. In Colombia, it must continue to be a benchmark for entertainment, healthy competition, union and joy. Therefore, we insist on the need to maintain this activity…”
The federation also issued a warning to the guerrilla group, ELN, saying, “Behind a ball, the dreams and illusions of children, youth, women, men and adults, footballers, their loved ones and a whole country roll. Soccer is passion in peace. Let no one ever think of it, to attack that reality again!”
The ELN is Colombia’s main remaining active guerrilla group and has been actively fighting the state since 1964. The group has an estimated 2,500 members. The kidnapping, which was met with uproar and utter shock within both Columbia and the UK respectively, disrupted the Colombian government’s peace talks with the ELN, which restarted last year in hopes of ending a 60-year conflict that has resulted in at least 450,000 deaths.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
Photo: Dudek1337. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.