After scoring against Luton on Sunday, Luis Diaz revealed a t-shirt showing support for his father, who is still being held captive in his native Colombia.
Concerned that they have not yet released their father, Liverpool star Luis Diaz, the family has demanded proof that he is alive from the kidnappers holding him captive.
Even though the left-wing insurgent group ELN declared at the end of last week that it was working on Luis Manuel Diaz’s liberation as soon as possible, they have not delivered on their promise to date. The group further claimed that by keeping a heavy military and police presence in the Perija Mountains, the presumed home of father-of-four Luis Manuel, the Colombian government was impeding their efforts.
However, the 11-day ordeal continues even after the government ordered the removal of elite police and troops from Barrancas, the location of the father-of-four’s kidnapping on October 28. Brother Gabi of the missing man acknowledged that the family is concerned and pleaded with the ELN to provide evidence that the 58-year-old is still alive.
“My father is here and wants to see his son,” he stated, “so what we would most like is to have that proof by seeing him and knowing what situation our brother, our relative, our papa, and our son is in.” “We are asking the ELN to send us proof of how Luis Manuel is now so we can have some peace of mind,” the football player’s cousin Luis Alfonso Diaz said to Colombian state broadcaster RNC.
The demands are in response to Diaz’s heartfelt social media post late on Sunday. After coming off the bench to give the Reds a thrilling late-game equaliser against Luton, he lifted up his shirt to reveal the T-shirt underneath, which said, “Freedom for Papa.”
Saying that his father is better known by his the nickname, Mane, the 26-year-old said, “This is not Luis Diaz the player speaking. The speaker today is Luis Manuel Diaz’s son. Mane, my father, is the head of our family and a devoted worker; he has been abducted.
“I request my father’s immediate release from the ELN and the cooperation of international organisations in securing his freedom. Our suffering intensifies every minute and every second. There are no adequate words to express the feelings of desperation, distress, and me, my mother, and my brothers. The only time this pain will end is when he returns home.
“I implore you to free him right now, honouring his integrity and putting an end to this agonising wait as soon as you can. We beg you to think twice about what you’ve done and grant us back his return in the spirit of love and compassion. I express my gratitude to Colombians and the global community for their support, as well as for the numerous acts of kindness and unity that have been shown during this trying time for many families in my nation.”
The forward’s participation in Liverpool’s Europa League match against Toulouse on Thursday in France is still unknown. Jurgen Klopp, the manager, has complimented the 26-year-old’s character and disclosed that he willingly offered himself for first team selection.