Colombia: Kidnapping of Luis Díaz's father strains agreements between government and ELN

The father of soccer player Luis Díaz, Luis Manuel Díaz, was kidnapped for nine days by the National Liberation Army (ELN). The situation has strained the peace agreements between the Colombian government and the members of the guerrilla group. The ELN kidnapped Luis Manuel Díaz and Cilenis Marulanda, the parents of the Liverpool and Colombian national team soccer player, on the afternoon of Oct. 28 in Barrancas, La Guajira.

The ELN assured that it would begin operations to free Luis Manuel Díaz. However, there has been no progress. The ELN maintained that it has not released him due to the presence of the authorities in the area where Díaz is being held.

"We are making efforts to avoid incidents with official forces. The area remains militarized, they carry out overflights, disembark troops, make calls, offer rewards and carry out an intense rake operation," said the José Manuel Martínez Quiroz Northern War Front, a wing of the ELN, through a statement reported by El Tiempo.

"We understand the anguish of the Díaz Marulanda family, to whom we tell that we will keep our word to release him unilaterally, as soon as we have security guarantees for the development of the liberation operation," the group added.

However, El Tiempo also explained that Díaz's kidnapping is part of a rift in the relationship between the Colombian government and the ELN. The Colombian newspaper detailed that the kidnapping of the soccer player's father "constitutes a violation of the agreed ceasefire, and yesterday afternoon, the 'Estado Mayor Central' (EMV), a dissident of 'Iván Mordisco,' announced that it was stopping the negotiation table and suspended it for alleged non-compliance by the Colombian State."

Meanwhile, it was also reported that delegations from the Ombudsman's Office, the Red Cross, the Catholic Church and a commission from the United Nations (UN) expressed their willingness to collaborate in the liberation process.

The player's last message about the kidnapping of his parents was this Sunday. The footballer scored a goal against Luton and dedicated it to his father, displaying a message on his shirt: "Libertad para papa (Freedom for dad)."

"Today the soccer player is not speaking to you, today Lucho Díaz, the son of Luis Manuel Díaz, is speaking. Mane, my dad, is a tireless worker, our pillar in the family and he is kidnapped. I ask the ELN for the prompt release of my father, and I ask international organizations to intercede for his freedom," the player also stated in a statement published on X (formerly Twitter).