Border crossings between Colombia and Venezuela, located in dense jungle, are being guarded by army commandos in the search for the kidnapped father of Liverpool star Luis Diaz.
Gunmen kidnapped Diaz’s parents in Barrancas, Colombia. While his mother was later released, his father remains missing while a massive search mission is underway.
Diaz was informed of the kidnapping at Liverpool’s team hotel on Saturday evening, ahead of their Premier League match against Nottingham Forest at Anfield on Sunday.
The 26-year-old left the squad while members of Liverpool’s staff cared for him. Diogo Jota dedicated his goal in Liverpool’s 3-0 win to Diaz by lifting his number 7 shirt to the applause of the crowd.
Reports through Semana in Colombia say a massive rescue operation for Luis Manuel Diaz is underway, involving more than 130 police and military personnel, including jungle commandos.
The search continues for Liverpool and Colombia striker Luis Manuel Diaz’s father as authorities monitor jungle areas near the border with Venezuela
A reward of around £40,000 has been offered for information about the kidnapping
Liverpool star Luis Diaz was informed of the kidnapping on Saturday evening
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Three Black Hawk helicopters and an Aerospace Force aircraft are combing jungle areas near the Serrania del Perija mountains, close to the border with Venezuela.
Semana said police have not ruled out the possibility that Diaz’s father is already in Venezuela, even though the crossing through the dense jungle would have been dangerous.
Police Director General William Salamanca told the newspaper: ‘I cannot give any information about that (because I am in Venezuela), I want to be very careful.
“I flew over the area and they were supposed to cross the Perija Mountains, but I don’t think a human can do that in that area.
‘We tried to leave some commandos there, but it didn’t work because of the density of the jungle.
“Also since last night there is a blockade that the army has set up in the lower part of the mountain range, which would be the exit to Venezuela.”
Semana said the search for Diaz’s father has reached a point of “stagnation,” with authorities awaiting the demands of his captors.
According to the report, Luis Manuel and his wife Cilenis Marulanda were buying watermelons when they were taken away by four armed men on motorcycles.
The star’s mother (pictured in 2019) has been rescued, but his father is believed to still be held captive. Authorities continue the search.
A video that surfaced in Colombia showed Diaz’s mother being reunited with her family
After police conducted a “padlock” operation to find the couple, the attackers reportedly abandoned Diaz’s stolen car and continued riding on three motorcycles, two of which had been taken from civilians.
Diaz’s mother was freed from her ordeal with a reward of 200 million Colombian pesos (about £40,000), offered by authorities for information.
The Colombian Football Federation posted on their Instagram account: ‘We ask the kidnappers of Luis Manuel Diaz, Luis Diaz’s father, to release him now, without conditions. Football is peace. Lucho, we are with you. Colombia is with you.”
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said preparing for Sunday’s match was the most difficult task he has had to undertake in his career.
‘The preparation was the hardest I’ve ever had in my life. Didn’t expect it, wasn’t prepared for it. “I don’t want to make the game bigger than it was, but that’s how it was,” Klopp said.
‘We are definitely trying to help Lucho with the battle we are fighting, because of course we want to help. We can’t really help, so all we can really do is fight for him and that’s what the boys did.
Jurgen Klopp said preparing for this match was the hardest task he has ever had to do
‘We heard it late last night. Then we spoke to Lucho. He wanted to go home. Sent people with him, had people there to take care of him. There’s some of his family there too. That’s why they want to be together. It’s absolutely understandable.
‘Then we got the news about his mother, which is absolutely fantastic. Actually nothing since then.
‘They’re working on it, but it’s a ways away. We are of course not the first to be informed, but we try to learn everything, but we do not want to disturb.’
Diogo Jota dedicated his goal to Diaz by lifting his number 7 shirt, and Klopp added: ‘How can you make a football match seem really important on a day like this? It is really difficult. I’ve never struggled with that in my life.
‘It was always my safe place, sometimes my hiding place as a player or as a coach.
Diaz remains in the thoughts of his teammates as they won 3-0 without him on Sunday
Diaz’s shirt was held up by Diogo Jota and received applause during the Forest clash at Anfield
‘You can only concentrate on that for these ninety minutes or so. And it was impossible, absolutely impossible to do that.
‘So it was clear that we had to give the match an extra feeling and that it was a fight for Lucho. Then the guys brought out the shirt and I honestly wasn’t 100 percent prepared for that. It was very moving, but also beautiful.’
Jota added: ‘Luis was with us at the hotel and then he went home. It’s a very difficult situation and I don’t know how anyone would react if it happened to you.
‘He went to play. I played instead of him and I showed him his shirt to show that we are with him and everything will be fine.
‘It is unimaginable that a situation like this could happen. We can just support him and show that we stand behind him.’