The Colombian mother of Liverpool player Luis Diaz has been rescued after being kidnapped in northern Colombia, but officials are still searching for his missing father, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on Saturday.
Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office previously announced it had formed an investigative team to search for the couple in Barrancas, La Guajira state, northern Colombia.
Police confirmed Diaz’s mother, Silenis Marulanda, was rescued and said she spoke with the school’s principal, William Rene Salamanca. In the video, Salamanca said he would mobilize all available agents to find Diaz’s father. Diaz’s parents, both 26, were kidnapped on their way home. Gunmen on motorcycles stopped them and chased them away in a car, authorities said.
The Colombian Football Federation issued a statement saying it regretted the kidnapping and called on authorities to rescue the father.
Diaz, who has 43 caps for Colombia, did not comment on the incident. In January 2022, Premier League club Liverpool acquired winger Diaz from Portuguese club Porto for millions of dollars. He scored 14 goals in 58 appearances for the Giants in the Premier League. Liverpool play Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
