Prior to granting him freedom, the rebel organisation holding Luis Diaz’s father captive demanded “security guarantees.”
Colombian media reports that the National Liberation Army (ELN) has declared that the ongoing military and police search “will delay the release and increase the risks.”
At gunpoint in Barrancas, Colombia, on October 28, Luis Manuel Diaz and his spouse were abducted.
Diaz, a football player for Liverpool, has pleaded with the abductors to free his father right away and put a stop to the ordeal.
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He saw his father held captive, but his mother was left behind in a car as police closed in following the kidnapping.
In his first game since his parents were abducted, Colombian international Diaz came off the bench to give Liverpool a point against Luton Town on Sunday.
Holding onto Diaz’s father “as long as possible,” the ELN reaffirmed its goal.
The scope of the search operation being conducted by the Colombian police is impeding the process, according to a statement signed by commander Jose Manuel Martinez Quiroz.
According to the ELN, “We are working to prevent incidents with government forces.” “There is still a strong military presence in the area. As part of a comprehensive search effort, they are doing flyovers, releasing soldiers, publicising, and providing rewards.
“The release plan cannot be carried out swiftly and safely in a way that does not endanger Mr. Luis Manuel Diaz because of this circumstance.
The hazards will rise and the release will be delayed if operations in the region continue.
We acknowledge the suffering of the Diaz Marulanda family and promise to honour our promise to unilaterally free him as soon as security assurances are obtained to support the progress of the liberation effort.
The left-wing guerrillas of the ELN kidnapped Diaz’s parents at gunpoint in Barrancas, his hometown in the northern region of La Guajira.
Subsequently, the Colombian government has sent hundreds of police and military to seek for his father, who is still unaccounted for. His mother was discovered later that day.
In Sunday’s Premier League encounter against Luton, Diaz, 26, made his comeback to the Liverpool team after missing out on appearances since their October 26 Europa League victory over Toulouse.
Following his team’s equaliser, Diaz gestured for his father’s liberation by lifting his shirt, and he then issued a statement demanding that his father be freed.
“Please, in order to honour his integrity and put an end to this agonising wait, liberate him right away. “We kindly request that they rethink their actions and grant us access to him once more, out of love and compassion,” Diaz uttered.
