ELN guerillas say Luis Díaz’s father to be freed – report،
A representative of Colombia’s National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas said on Thursday that the group would free the father of Liverpool star Luis Díaz, days after kidnapping him in northern Colombia, reported Reuters.
The Colombian government said Thursday that the ELN was responsible for this weekend’s kidnapping of the Colombian national team striker’s father.
Díaz’s father will be released “as soon as possible,” ELN representative Juan Carlos Cuellar told a community meeting, in a video clip shared by the ELN with Reuters.
The government’s peace delegation, which is currently in negotiations with the ELN, said in a statement on Thursday that it was “officially aware” that the kidnapping was “perpetrated by a unit belonging to the ELN.”
“We demand that the ELN immediately release Mr. Luis Manuel Díaz and we say now that it is fully responsible for guaranteeing his life and integrity,” said Otty Patiño, who heads the peace delegation.
Both of Díaz’s parents from Liverpool were kidnapped by gunmen on motorcycles at a gas station in the small town of Barrancas on Saturday. The footballer’s mother, Cilenis Marulanda, was rescued within hours by police who set up roadblocks around the town of 40,000 inhabitants, located near the border between Colombia and Venezuela.
Díaz’s father was still missing, prompting special forces to search for him in a mountain range straddling both countries and covered in cloud forest. Police also offered a $48,000 reward for information leading to Diaz’s father.
Díaz is one of the most talented players in the Colombian national team and currently plays for Liverpool in the English Premier League, whom he joined last year in a contract worth $67 million.
The 26-year-old winger was absent from Liverpool’s match against Nottingham Forest on Sunday. Díaz’s teammates expressed their solidarity with the Colombian by holding up one of his jerseys on the pitch after he scored the opening goal of Liverpool’s 3-0 victory.
Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
