The Colombian government has announced that Luis Diaz’s father has been kidnapped by the terrorist group National Liberation Army (ELN).
The government said it was informed during peace talks with the organization that the ELN was responsible for the kidnapping of both Diaz’s parents last weekend.
His mother Cilenis Marulanda was released a few hours later, but his father Luis Manuel remains missing five days later.
Otty Patino, who represents the government in the talks, confirmed that they had been informed that the ELN was responsible for the kidnapping.
In a statement, Patino called for the release of Diaz’s father.
The Colombian government has provided an important update in their search for Luis Diaz’s father
The Colombian government says Luis Manuel Diaz has been kidnapped by a terrorist group
Diaz’s father Luis Manuel (above) and mother Cilenis Marulanda were kidnapped in Colombia last week and the 26-year-old footballer has since remained in England for ‘safety reasons’
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‘Today we have officially learned that the kidnapping that took place on October 28 in Barrancas, department of La Guajira, of which Luis Manuel Díaz and Cilenis Marulanda, father and mother of footballer Luis Fernando, were the victims, was committed by a unit belonging to the ELN belongs,” the statement read.
“Although Ms Marulanda was released a few hours later, the player’s father was kidnapped for five days.
‘As the delegation of the National Government for peace talks with the ELN, we express all our solidarity with Luis Díaz, his family, with the entire country and with the player’s millions of followers around the world.
“We demand that the ELN immediately release Mr. Luis Manuel Diaz, and we remind him that it is his full responsibility to guarantee his life and integrity.
“We remind the ELN that kidnapping is a criminal practice, contrary to international humanitarian law, and that it is its duty in developing the current peace process not only to stop its implementation, but also to end it forever to eliminate.
“As part of the development of the ceasefire agreement, our delegation will submit this matter to the current monitoring and verification mechanism and take all necessary actions to achieve the immediate release, guaranteeing the life and integrity of Mr. Diaz.”
Diaz’s parents were grabbed from the streets of Colombia last week by four armed men on motorcycles.
The Liverpool star was informed of the ordeal shortly before his side’s 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest at Anfield on Sunday.
The Liverpool star’s mother (above in 2019, center left) has been rescued after the pair were snatched from the streets of Colombia last week, but his father’s whereabouts remain unknown
Diaz’s mother (center) led a community march Tuesday demanding her husband’s release
Hundreds of local community members joined forces, dressed in white balloons and held them
Although his mother Cilenis Marulanda was later released after the kidnapping, the whereabouts of his father Luis Manuel are still unknown.
The Colombian police and army worked together to bring him home safely.
Diaz took to social media on Tuesday to call on people to join a march to demand his father’s safe release.
The Instagram post invited the “entire community” and urged them to “bring your candle to light the light of hope,” with the photo of his father accompanied by a caption that read: “Free him now’.
Hundreds of people joined his mother Cilenis and grandfather Alfonso on Tuesday evening as they took to the streets of Barrancas to call for an end to the kidnapping.
Earlier this week it emerged that police had identified two of the four men involved in the kidnapping.
More details about the kidnapping emerged on Wednesday when Colombian newspaper Semana reported that Diaz’s parents were buying watermelons when they were taken by the four armed men.
Since the release of Diaz’s mother, authorities have offered a reward of 200 million Colombian pesos (about £40,000) for information.