The Colombian government has confirmed that the father of Liverpool forward Luis Diaz was kidnapped by an armed rebel group National Liberation Army, known as ELN.
During the weekend, the father of the Colombian national football team striker was kidnapped.
The Colombian government in a statement on Thursday, said a peace delegation is currently in negotiations with ELN and that it was “officially aware” that the kidnapping had been “perpetrated by a unit that belongs to ELN”.
“We demand that the ELN releases immediately Mr Luis Manuel Diaz and we say as of now that they are entirely responsible to secure his life and integrity,” said Otty Patino, who leads the peace delegation.
On Saturday, both parents of Díaz were kidnapped by armed men on motorcycles at a petrol station in the small town of Barrancas.
Luckily, the footballer’s mother, Cilenis Marulanda, was rescued within hours by police who set up roadblocks around the town of 40,000 people, which is near Colombia’s border with Venezuela.
However, Diaz’s father remained missing, which led to the special forces holding a search for him in a mountain range that straddles both countries and is covered by cloud forest.
A $48,000 reward was also offered for information leading to the whereabouts of Diaz’s father.
In a video clip shared by Reuters, ELN representative Juan Carlos Cuellar reportedly said Diaz’s father would be freed as soon as possible.
The 26-year-old signed for the Reds in a deal worth $67m.
The striker also missed Liverpool’s match against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
