Luis Diaz’s father has been released after being kidnapped by the National Liberation Army (ELN, by its Spanish acronym) in Colombia.
ELN is an armed insurgency group that has operated within the country since 1964 and the Colombian government said they were the ones responsible for the kidnapping of Diaz’s parents, Luis Manuel Diaz and Cilenis Marulanda.
Otty Patino, the Colombian government’s chief peace negotiator with the ELN, said that the kidnapping of Diaz’s parents had been “perpetuated by a faction of the ELN.” Diaz’s mother had been rescued some days back, with his father getting freedom today.
Liverpool in a statement said that they “are delighted by the news of Luis Diaz’s father’s safe return and we thank all those involved in securing his release.”
A statement from the Colombian Football Federation reads partly: “The Colombian Football Federation thanks the National Government, the Military Forces and the National Police, as well as all the institutions and functionaries that made possible the liberation of Luis Manuel Diaz, father of our player Luis Diaz”.
