Colombia
Father of professional footballer Díaz kidnapped by guerrillas
Cilenis Marulanda (M), mother of Colombian footballer Luis Diaz, takes part in a demonstration for the release of her husband and the Liverpool striker’s father. photo
© Leo Carrillo/AP/dpa
While the professional’s mother was rescued by English Premier League club Liverpool FC shortly afterwards, his father is still in the hands of the guerrillas.
The father of the Colombian national soccer player According to the government, Luis Díaz was kidnapped by the left-wing guerrilla organization ELN. He was kidnapped by a unit of the rebel group on October 28 in the Guajira department in the northeast of the country, said the government’s chief negotiator in the peace talks with the ELN, Otty Patiño.
While the professional’s mother was rescued by English Premier League club Liverpool FC shortly afterwards, his father is still in the hands of the guerrillas.
The Colombian government and the ELN are currently holding peace talks. A six-month ceasefire is currently in effect. “We remind the ELN that kidnapping is a criminal practice and violates international humanitarian law,” the government said in a statement. “We call on the ELN to immediately release Luis Manuel Díaz.”
52 years of civil war
Colombia suffered 52 years of civil war between left-wing rebels, right-wing paramilitaries and the military. 220,000 people died and millions were displaced. Although the security situation has improved following the peace agreement concluded in 2016 between the government and the largest rebel group, the Farc, parts of the South American country are still controlled by illegal groups. The Marxist-Leninist ELN has around 5,000 fighters under arms and is involved in kidnappings, drug trafficking and protection rackets.