Liverpool winger Luis Diaz can now find some relief as his father was released from captivity on Thursday, November 9, after being abducted and held hostage by the Colombian insurgency group National Liberation Army (ELN) for 13 days.
The guerrilla group, designated a terrorist organization by several countries, including the United States and the European Union, handed over Luis Manuel Diaz, 56, to United Nations and Roman Catholic church officials in Valledupar, Colombia, as per Colombia's Episcopal Conference.
Local media reported that Mr. Díaz was transported to the city of Valledupar, where he will undergo a medical examination before reuniting with his family. He was retrieved by a helicopter funded by the United Nations from a forested region near the Colombian border with Venezuela.
"We are delighted by the news of Luis Díaz's father's safe return and we thank all those involved in securing his release," Liverpool posted on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
Timeline of events: Kidnapping of Luis Diaz's parents
Both the parents of the 26-year-old winger, Luis Manuel Díaz, Sr., and his wife, Cilenis Marulanda, were kidnapped by armed individuals from the ELN on motorcycles at a gas station in Barrancas, their hometown in northern Colombia, on October 28.
Fortunately, Marulanda was rescued on the same day. Authorities conducted a significant police and military search operation in their efforts to locate her husband. Colombia President Gustavo Petro deployed all available public forces to aid the ongoing search.
Diaz missed two matches for Liverpool - a Premier League match against Nottingham Forest on October 29 and a Carabao Cup match against Bournemouth on November 1 due to the situation.
Diaz returns to action
With his father still in captivity, the Colombian-born player returned to football action on November 5 during a Premier League fixture against Luton Town as a substitute, entering the game in the 81st minute.
Diaz notably scored a goal in the same game in stoppage time to salvage a 1-1 draw for the Reds. Upon netting the ball, he lifted his kit to reveal an undershirt with the message "LIBERTAD PARA PAPA," Spanish for "freedom for dad."
A week after the kidnapping, ELN said in a statement that they were guaranteeing the safe release of Diaz Sr.
"Ater being reported and verified that [their captive] is the father of Lucho Diaz, [we are] guided by his release because he is a family member of the great sportsman that we all love as Colombians," the ELN said.
Antonio Garcia, the group leader, also stated that "the retention of Luis Díaz's father by the Guerra Norte front was a mistake."
However, the release process was delayed because the group wanted to avoid any incident with government forces. Diaz Sr. was finally released on November 9.
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