In a farewell message to his parent who was imprisoned, Luis Diaz honored his father, who had been abducted, during his final-gasp equalizer against Luton Town.
The 26-year-old Diaz undid his Liverpool shirt to expose black text that said “Para papa” on his white underwear.
When translated into English, it conveys a moving message “For Dad” to the still-missing Luis Manuel.
Many in the football community have expressed amazement at Diaz’s mental toughness throughout his parent’s tragedy.
In the second half, he came off the bench and positioned himself to give Liverpool a share of the points by capping off a counterattack that Ross Barkley had started.
‘It says a lot about Diaz’s character, his inner strength,’ Reds goalkeeper Becker Alisson remarked following the game. Though we can feel his suffering, few people can truly understand what he’s going through.
Sometimes, when things are tough, a person might find joy in football. Lucho finds solace in football at this moment. We completely support him.
The leader of the rebel group that had taken the football player’s parents hostage earlier admitted that they had made a “mistake” in not releasing his father.
There are 150 uniformed military personnel in the Barrancas area while authorities continue peace talks with the ELN, which the US government has designated as a terrorist organization, in an effort to expedite Diaz’s father’s release.
Antonio Garcia, the head of the ELN, stated on his Telegram channel that “the Northern War Front made a mistake” in keeping Luis Diaz’s father, according to AFP.
Garcia continued, referring to the 26-year-old football player by his nickname, “Lucho,” saying, “That is how we in the ELN feel about him.” The player returned to Liverpool training on Friday.
The left-wing rebel group ELN was named as the culprit behind Luis Manuel Diaz’s kidnapping on Thursday.
After being identified as the culprits, the ELN gang had pledged to arrange the release of Mr. Diaz,58, within a few hours, but this has not yet happened.
150 uniformed military soldiers are currently at Barrancas to assist with a handover process in collaboration with the National Police, the air force, and the army.
Colonel Giovanni Montañez is the man orchestrating the military response.
‘It has been arranged by the Military Forces, with the National Army, the Aerospace Force, in coordination with the National Police. In the same way with the provision of the Attorney General’s Office. We continue with the deployment of units, undertaking repositioning,’ added the colonel.
When Diaz’s parents were kidnapped last Saturday in their village of Barrancas, close to the Venezuelan border, the case got underway.
His father is still in the care of the ELN, but his mother was saved and reunited with her family a few hours later.
Over 38,000 individuals have been abducted in Colombia in recent years, primarily by organizations looking to earn money through ransom. Kidnapping is on the rise in that country.
Speaking on Friday, Colombian President Gustavo Petro stated that the position of Liverpool player Luis Diaz’s father is getting’very hazardous’ because his captors have not fulfilled their commitment to free him.
‘The ELN is accountable for the life of Luis Diaz’s father today because of the ELN’s authorship, Mr. Petro stated at a speech in Washington, D.C., while on an official visit to the US.
It has done something that goes against the peace process.
I must convey my most disapproval, not just for having taken Luis’ father hostage, but also because they haven’t been able to release him in the subsequent events.
The leaders of the ELN have voiced their desire for him to be released as soon as possible.
But the hours are ticking by, and the longer this goes on, the more serious the situation is for Mr. Diaz.
This Saturday afternoon, Liverpool plays Luton Town, although it’s unclear if Diaz will play a role. Klopp, the manager, stated on Friday that it is all up to the player.
