The father of Luis Diaz, player of Liverpool and Colombia’s national team, was finally released this Thursday by a ELN guerrilla group after 12 days of being kidnapped.
On October 28th, the parents of Luis Diaz were kidnapped in the city of Barrancas in La Guajira, the place where the player was born. The kidnapping of Luis Manuel Diaz and Cilenis Marulanda occurred while they were traveling in a van that was intercepted by individuals on motorcycles in the town. Although his mother was rescued, Luis Diaz’s father was still being held in captivity.
The player’s father was handed over to a humanitarian commission from the UN and the Catholic Church in the foothills of the Perija mountain range, near Barrancas. Luis Manuel Diaz will be transported by helicopter to Valledupar in Colombia and then he will be reunited with his family.
“The Colombian Football Federation expresses gratitude to the National Government, the Armed Forces, the National Police, as well as all institutions and officials who made possible the liberation of Luis Manuel Díaz, father of our player Luis Díaz.”
What happened with Luis Diaz and his parents?
Luis Diaz had to go through the two most challenging weeks of his life while still playing for Liverpool in England. In fact, just this past weekend, the Colombian star scored a last-minute goal to secure a draw for his team against Luton Town.
After scoring the most emotional goal of his career, the player lifted his jersey to reveal a shirt that said: “Freedom for Dad.” The images went viral around the world.
