Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced on Saturday that the mother of Columbia and Liverpool player Luis Diaz had been rescued after being kidnapped in northern Colombia but that the search is still on-going for his missing father.
The Colombian attorney general’s office earlier said a team of investigators had been assembled to search for the couple in Barrancas, a municipality in Colombia’s northern La Guajira province.
The National Police later quickly confirmed the rescue of Díaz’s mother, Cilenis Marulanda, and said she had spoken with Director William Rene Salamanca. Salamanca later said in a video that he is using every agent to locate Diaz’s father.
26-year-old Díaz’s parents were reportedly kidnapped as they were driving to their home when gunmen on motorbikes stopped them and subsequently drove them away in the vehicle, authorities said.
Colombia’s soccer federation said in a statement the kidnapping was regrettable and urged authorities to expedite the rescue of the father.
Díaz, who has played 43 times for Colombia, has yet to comment on the incident.
Premier League club giants Liverpool signed winger Díaz from Portuguese club Porto in a mega deal in January 2022. He has since netted 14 times in 58 appearances for the Reds.
Liverpool will next be in action on Sunday against Nottingham Forest.