Luis Diaz, the Liverpool star, has broken his silence following the abduction of his parents in Colombia. He has urged his followers to join a march calling for the release of his missing father.
The distressing news of his parents being kidnapped reached Diaz just a day before Liverpool’s 3-0 victory against Nottingham Forest at Anfield. While his mother, Cilenis Marulanda, has been freed from the kidnappers, the whereabouts of his father, Luis Manuel, remain unknown. Diaz took to Instagram to share a post featuring a planned march in Colombia, which displayed an image of his father. The post called on the entire community to participate and bring candles as a symbol of hope, with a plea to the captors to release him immediately. Videos from the march in their hometown of Barrancas showed supporters carrying white balloons and chanting for Diaz’s father’s release.
The police have been conducting extensive patrols in the Perija mountain range to locate Diaz’s father, with concerns that he may have been smuggled over the Colombian border into Venezuela. Colombia’s national police director, Gen William Salamanca, has joined the search in the challenging forested region. Reports have suggested that Luis Manuel might have already crossed into Venezuela, given the difficulties of traversing the range.
Further details regarding the kidnapping have emerged, indicating that Diaz’s parents were taken by four armed men on motorcycles while they were purchasing watermelons. After the police initiated a ‘padlock’ operation to locate the couple, the assailants reportedly abandoned Diaz’s stolen car and continued on three motorcycles, two of which were taken from civilians. A reward of 200 million Colombian pesos (approximately £40,000) was offered by the authorities for information, which led to the release of Diaz’s mother.
The Colombian army has confirmed that they continue the search for Diaz’s father with a substantial deployment of resources, including two motorised platoons, unmanned aircraft, checkpoints, helicopters, specialized radar-equipped planes, and over 120 personnel.
Liverpool’s assistant coach, Lijnders, shared the club’s support for Diaz during this distressing incident. He mentioned that the entire club is behind him, emphasizing their care and concern for Diaz’s well-being.
According to a report from Colombian magazine Semana, Diaz initially considered returning to his home country in an attempt to find his father but was persuaded by relatives to stay in England due to concerns for his safety if he were to go back to Colombia.
