Luis Diaz met with his father for the first time since his horrific kidnapping. Both were in tears as they hugged when the Liverpool winger landed in Colombia. Luis Manuel Daz Jimenez, 58, worried he wouldn’t make it out alive after a frightening 12-day saga following his kidnapping. However, the Liverpool star’s father was reunited with his friends and family on Thursday last week. After being freed by the ELN militants in Colombia, who had kidnapped him on October 28.
Luis Manuel Daz Jimenez said that one of the first things he did following his release was phone his son, who was playing for Liverpool versus Toulouse at the time. The 58-year-old, sobbed as he recalled the emotional moment and what his son told him.
Luis Diaz’s father went on to say “to keep going because things don’t end here and to have a lot of strength to recover from everything that has happened”.
Diaz, who was injured in the horrifying kidnapping, also disclosed that no money was exchanged to obtain his release.
As quoted by The Sun he said to the local press: “There was no offer of resources, there was no need, everything was done legally, thank God , they did not request any resources, but that did not happen.”
Luis Diaz’s father arrived home with an injured knee and could be seen sleeping in bed with relatives by his side. Diaz was forced to walk for over a week because his kidnappers were afraid authorities would apprehend them.
On November 9, the 58-year-old appeared coming out of a helicopter near the border between La Guajira and Cesar. After his freedom the UN rescue group met him there.
The chopper was spotted at Valledupar airport after the ELN agreed to hand over Luis Diaz’s father to the committee. The eviction occurred only after a United Nations panel and the Catholic Church decided to work with the ELN.