Luis Diaz, a midfielder for Liverpool, faced a family crisis as his parents were abducted in Colombia, with his mother being rescued while his father remains missing.
Gatekeepers News reports that according to reports, Luis Diaz’s parents were kidnapped in Colombia after being stopped by gunmen on motorbikes in Barrancas, Colombia.
The 26-year-old Colombian international’s parents were reportedly kidnapped as they drove to their home.
Early reports suggest they were at a petrol station aboard a truck when they were approached by armed men travelling on motorbikes.
The country’s President, Gustavo Petro, confirmed that Luis Diaz’s mother, Cilenis Marulanda, has been safely rescued. However, the search continues for his father.
“In a padlock operation in Barrancas, Luis Diaz’s mother has been rescued, we continue the search for the father,” the President tweeted.
Meanwhile, the country’s police director, General William Salamanca, said he is using every agent to find Diaz’s father.The authorities, including the army and police, are working diligently to locate the missing parent.
The Colombian Football Federation expressed solidarity with Luis Diaz and called for swift action to resolve the situation.
“The Colombian Football Federation rejects the security situation that the parents of our player Luis Díaz are going through,” a statement said.
“From the FCF, we express our solidarity with him and his entire family, and we call for the relevant authorities to act as quickly as possible to resolve the situation.”
The Colombian attorney General’s office also said in a statement: “From the moment when Colombia’s General Prosecutor’s Office learned of the kidnapping of the parents of Colombian player Luis Díaz in the Barrancas area of La Guajira, a specialist team of prosecutors, CTI (Technical Investigation Team) officials and investigators from the police and military have been taking urgent action to locate these individuals, clarify the chain of events and identify the culprits.”
Diaz himself was not included in Liverpool’s match-day squad against Nottingham Forest following these events, and the club expressed its concern for the player’s well-being.
A Liverpool statement said: “It is our fervent hope that the matter is resolved safely and at the earliest possible opportunity. In the meantime, the player’s welfare will continue to be our immediate priority.”
