After being held hostage for 13 days in Colombia, the father of Liverpool soccer (football) player Luis Díaz has been freed. Luis Díaz Sr, 56, was handed off to members of the Catholic Church and the UN by members of the National Liberation Army (ELN) on Thursday, the Guardian reports.
A group of armed men initially abducted Díaz Sr along with his wife, Cilenis Marulanda almost two weeks ago on October 28 in their hometown of Barrancas. Marulanda was abandoned in a car as police closed in on the group but Díaz Sr was dragged to captivity by the guerrilla group.
Initially it was thought he was abducted by local mafia, however the Colombian government discovered it was in fact the ELN who was holding him hostage while negotiating with armed groups on November 2. The government initially pledged to obtain Díaz Sr that day, but were unable to.
Colombian president Gustavo Petro said in a statement to journalists in Washington DC last Friday: “There is a willingness expressed by the [ELN’s leadership] to release him as soon as possible but the hours pass and, as time passes, the circumstances in which Mr Diaz is in become very dangerous.”
In a statement from his government, they said: “The current process with the ELN has advanced like no other until today. Regardless, our delegation considers that the kidnapping of Luis Manuel Díaz has placed our dialogue in a critical situation and because of it, the time has come to take decisions to eliminate kidnapping.”
After he was freed they stated the abduction “should have never happened” but nevertheless expressed relief for his safe return.
The ELN blamed the Colombian military for the delay of his return, insinuating the members holding him captive were ready to release Díaz Sr earlier but that those looking for him were not finding him despite the military combing the mountain range bordering Venezuela.
It is unclear if the armed captors were given money in the exchange.
Supporters dressed in Liverpool soccer team shirts with Luis Díaz Jr's number 23 on them gathered in the neighborhood where the parents live in celebration of the father’s return.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told TNT Sports that Luis Díaz Jr was "really happy."
The Liverpool club posted to X: “We are delighted by the news of [Luis Díaz's] father's safe return and we thank all those involved in securing his release.”
Previous peace negotiations that had been in the works with armed guerrilla groups in Colombia are now being called into question as this abduction was a human rights violation by the ELN. Earlier this year the group had agreed to a six-month ceasefire with the government and pledged not to take civilians hostage.
Sergio Guzmán, the director of Colombia Risk Analysis, said: “The kidnapping of the parents of one of Colombia’s soccer stars and most beloved public figures undermines credibility in the peace process, undermines the credibility of the ELN and worsens the government’s ability to sell Total Peace as a credible alternative to Colombia’s long history of violence and conflict.”
