Luis Manuel Diaz, father of Liverpool soccer player Luis Diaz, spoke on Friday about his nearly two weeks of captivity in Colombia. He was taken hostage by guerrillas on October 28 and was kayoed for 12 days before being released on Thursday. He had undergone sleepless nights and long days of horseback riding through the mountains as he was captured by the leftist National Liberation Army (ELN) in Barrancas.
Despite the ordeal, Mr. Diaz said that he plans to continue living in Colombia, where his family resides. He expressed his trust and confidence in the government’s desire to provide him with security in his hometown. The father of the soccer player, thanking the government for their support, hopes to return to normalcy in Barrancas.
During his captivity, Mr. Diaz was advised by his kidnappers to remain calm amidst difficult horseback riding, traveling through mountains, and enduring rain. He recalls the nearly two weeks without sleep, which made him uncomfortable despite good treatment. The ELN, a terrorist organization with around 5,800 members, 2,800 of whom are combatants, is known for financing itself through illegal activity including kidnapping, drug trafficking, mining, and extortion. The ongoing peace negotiations with the authorities have not halted such practices, as the group’s top commander, Antonio Garcia, recently stated on social media that the peace discussions do not forbid their method of financing through kidnappings.