November 6 – Colombian-born Liverpool forward Luis Díaz has begged for his father’s kidnappers to free him immediately and “end this painful wait”.
Both of Diaz’s parents were taken by gunmen on motorbikes in the small Colombian town of Barrancas late last month though his mother was rescued within hours by police.
Diaz lifted his Liverpool shirt to reveal a T-shirt with the words ‘Libertad Para Papa’ (Freedom for Papa) after coming on as a substitute and scoring a late equaliser against Luton on Sunday in what was his first appearance for his club since the kidnapping.
In a further statement he added: “Every second, every minute our anxiety grows. My mother, my brothers and I are desperate, anxious and have no words to describe what we are feeling. This suffering will only end when we have him home with us.”
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said of Diaz’s appearance on the field: “It’s a wonderful moment but it doesn’t change the situation. The most important thing is that his father gets released.”
Diaz was embraced by Luton’s players and his own teammates on the field after the game.
The player’s parents were seized by left wing guerrillas of the National Liberation Army (ELN) who have vowed to free Diaz Sr following a national outcry but only after “security guarantees”.
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