30 October 2023 , 21:39
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The father of Luis Diaz remains missing and a reward has been offered for his safe return, after both his parents were kidnapped on Saturday evening. Mirror Football has compiled the latest on the situation.
The Liverpool star has been told not to travel to Colombia as the military continues to search for this father. A source close to the family said Diaz has been told to stay in the UK for his own safety.
Diaz's mother, Cilenis Marulanda, has been rescued following a police chase triggered by the kidnap of the Liverpool star's parents on Saturday afternoon, it's been confirmed. It occurred near their home in the town of Barrancas, in Colombia's Caribbean region.
However, Colombian authorities have not been able to locate his father, despite earlier local reports of a shootout. Police chiefs have spoken to Diaz as they look to keep him abreast of the situation. The player was left out of the Liverpool squad for Sunday's Premier League meeting with Nottingham Forest. The Reds won 3-0 at Anfield and paid tribute to Diaz following Diogo Jota's opening goal.
Colombia's attorney general, Francisco Barbosa, believes Diaz could've been taken to Venezuela. He told reporters: "We have information that he could, at some point, be in Venezuela. If he ends up crossing the border and he's in Venezuela, we have to ask [Colombia] President Gustavo Petro... to help us with freeing Luis Diaz's father."
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Contact has now been made with the authorities in Venezuela, with more troops set to be deployed to patrol the border. It comes as Colombia's military launch a major operation, with over 100 troops set to the mountain region in the north of the country, while planes and helicopters scan the area above and roadblocks are set up at ground level with further troops patrolling in motorised vehicles.
On Sunday afternoon, Colombian police announced that they are offering a 200m Colombian peso reward (£40k) to anyone who can give crucial information in order to help rescue Diaz's father. Colombia's football federation also issued a plea to those who had kidnapped Diaz's father. “We ask the captors of Luis Manuel Diaz, father of Luis F. Diaz, to release him immediately, without conditions," their statement said. "Football is peace. Luis, we are with you. Colombia is with you.”
Earlier in the day, authorities released a video of the director for the police, General William Salamanca, now in charge of the operation to return Diaz's dad to safety, speaking to the Liverpool winger in the early hours of the morning.
In his first communication, as first reported by Semana, Salamanca told Diaz that he had been ordered to lead the rescue mission by the Colombia president and that his mother is "safe and sound." He also added: “We are here using all the air and land capabilities of the police with the support of the Colombian Army."
Diaz pulled out of the Liverpool squad on Sunday morning, having been with the team in the hotel before the match. Portugal international Jota revealed post-game that Diaz had been due to start in his place, before being made aware of the situation with his parents.
"Luis was with us in the hotel then he went home. It's a very hard situation and I don't know how anyone would react if it happened to you. He was going to play. I played instead of him and I showed him his shirt to show we're with him and we hope everything works out.
"It's unimaginable to think a situation like this could happen. We can just support him and show him we're with him."
Kop boss Klopp, asked about the situation ahead of the match, had said: "We had to obviously make a late change because of the private situation involving Luis Diaz. It's a worrying situation for all of us and it was a pretty tough night. I have never had that before. It's a new experience I never needed."
Diogo Jota celebrates with a Luis Diaz shirt (Getty Images)News first broke of the kidnapping late on Saturday night. Soon after the Colombia national team released a statement. It read: "The Colombian Football Federation regrets the security situation that the parents of our player Luis Diaz are going through. 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."
Early on Sunday morning, Liverpool released a statement on the situation themselves, stating: "Liverpool Football Club can confirm it is aware of an ongoing situation involving the family of Luis Diaz in Colombia.
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"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."
Colombia President Gustavo Petro duly confirmed that Diaz's mother, Cilenis Marulanda, had been recovered and is safe. His mum was subsequently pictured enjoying a tearful reunion with relatives.
Luis Diaz with his mother and fatherSpeaking after Liverpool's win, Klopp admitted it had been "impossible" to focus on football.
“How can you make a football game really important on a day like this?” said the Liverpool boss. “It’s really difficult.
“I never struggled with that in my life, it was always my safe place, sometimes my hiding place. It was impossible, absolutely impossible to do that, so it was clear we have to give the game extra sense and we did that.
“It was fighting for Lucho, so the boys put out his shirt and I was not 100 per cent prepared for that, it was really touching, but wonderful as well.
“We heard last night, late about it. We spoke to Lucho and he went home. We sent people with him and part of his family is there, that’s why they want to be together.
“Then we got the news about the mum, which is fantastic, but since then, nothing really.”