Reports from Colombia have verified that the individuals who abducted Luis Diaz’s father are members of the ELN, a terrorist-designated guerrilla group.
In the town of Barrancas, La Guajira, on Saturday night, Luis Manuel Diaz, the father of Diaz, and his wife Cilenis Marulanda were abducted.
Marulanda was quickly rescued thanks to prompt police intervention, but Diaz Sr. is still missing, and police and army personnel are currently searching jungles and mountain ranges.
The Liverpool winger’s father may have been smuggled into neighbouring Venezuela, as there were once concerns, but these have since been dispelled.
The group responsible for the crime has been confirmed by multiple Colombian outlets, following a reported arrest in Barrancas on Wednesday morning.
Semana, Cambio, and El Tiempo all support reports from the Colombian government indicating that the kidnapping was masterminded by the National Liberation Army (ELN).
The ELN is a guerrilla group that has been active since 1964. The US, Canada, Colombia, Venezuela, and the EU have all designated them as terrorists.
Otty Patino, the chief peace negotiator, signed the following government statement:
“We now formally know that an ELN unit was responsible for the kidnapping that took place on 28 October in the Barrancas department of La Guajira, which claimed the lives of Luis Manuel Diaz and Cilenis Marulanda, the football player Luis Diaz’s mother and father.
“The player’s father has been abducted for five days, despite the fact that Mrs. Marulanda was freed a few hours later.”
In their discussions with the ELN, the government’s peace negotiators have insisted that Diaz Sr. be released right away.
The statement goes on, “We remind the ELN that kidnapping is a criminal practise that violates international humanitarian law.”
“And that it is their duty in the development of the current peace process, not only to stop executing it, but also to eliminate it forever.
“Our delegation will present this case to the current monitoring and verification mechanism as part of the development of the ceasefire agreement, and will take all necessary steps to achieve Mr. Diaz’s immediate release and with a guarantee of his life and integrity.”
Although Diaz has stayed on Merseyside, Liverpool is not considering him available, as he has not returned to Colombia to be with his mother.
Rather, the 26-year-old and his extended family in the UK are receiving off-field support from the club.