The father of Colombian international footballer Luis Diaz, kidnapped on Saturday, is in the hands of the ELN, the last guerrilla group still active in the country and with which the Colombian government is holding peace talks, authorities said on Thursday. “Today we officially know that the kidnapping” of the father of the striker of the English club Liverpool “was carried out by a unit belonging to the ELN”, indicated in a press release Otty Patiño, official government negotiator with the largest rebel group on the continent.
The ELN (National Liberation Army) did not claim responsibility for the kidnapping on its traditional communication channels. Luis Manuel Diaz (56, according to Colombian media) and his wife Cilenis Marulanda, who has since been released, were kidnapped on October 28 from a gas station in Barrancas, the family’s hometown, near the border with Venezuela (north-east), by armed men traveling on motorbikes.
No contact of the kidnappers with the family
According to authorities, the kidnappers did not contact the family to demand money in exchange for the release of the hostage, who Attorney General Francisco Barbosa said “could be” in Venezuela. The ELN operates in these border territories which are also a refuge for dissidents from the FARC guerrillas who did not sign the 2016 peace agreement, as well as paramilitary and common criminal groups.
At least 200 police officers, soldiers, commando members, cartographers and plane pilots were involved in the first days of the search. The government demands the “immediate release” of Luis Manuel Diaz and reminds the ELN “that it is its entire responsibility to guarantee his life”. Colombian President Gustavo Petro indicated on the X network (formerly Twitter) that he “spoke with Luis Diaz yesterday (Wednesday). We are working for the release of his father.”
Luis Manuel Diaz was an amateur coach at Barrancas’ only soccer school, where his son showed promise from an early age. He contributed to the meteoric rise of the 26-year-old known as “Lucho”, the first Colombian of indigenous origin to become part of world football’s elite. Indigenous people represent 4.4% of the country’s population. Luis Diaz has 43 caps for Colombia and was transferred to Liverpool from Portuguese club FC Porto last year for 60 million euros.