Liverpool’s Luis Diaz has been reunited with his parents after returning to his native Colombia for the first time since they were kidnapped last month.
Diaz’s father Luis Manuel Diaz and mother Cilenis Marulanda were seized at gunpoint in the winger’s hometown of Barrancas by members of the National Liberation Army – a guerrilla group which has been in conflict with the government since the 1960s – on October 28.
Marulanda was released within hours as Colombian police and military launched a nationwide search, though Diaz’s father was held by the rebel group for 12 days.
Luis Manuel Diaz was eventually released to a delegation composed of United Nations officials and Catholic Church members on Thursday.
Having remained in England throughout the ordeal, Diaz returned to Colombia for international duty this week ahead of Thursday’s 2026 World Cup qualifier against Brazil.
The Colombian Football Federation uploaded a video to X, formerly known as Twitter, showing an emotional Diaz embracing his father after arriving at the national team’s Barranquilla base.
🎥 ¡𝐄𝐥 𝐡𝐨𝐠𝐚𝐫 𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚́ 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞 𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚́ 𝐞𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐳𝐨́𝐧! 🫂
Con @LUISFDIAZ19 y el recibimiento de su familia, sumamos una llegada más a nuestra concentración 🤩#TODOSSOMOSCOLOMBIA🇨🇴 PIC.TWITTER.COM/2VWQD6DLXJ
— Selección Colombia (@FCFSeleccionCol) NOVEMBER 14, 2023
The post’s caption read: “This was Lucho’s exciting meeting with his father Mane Diaz and his family. We love you and we are more united than ever! We are all Colombians.”
Diaz missed Liverpool’s 3-0 Premier League win over Nottingham Forest the day after his parents were taken, before returning to score an emotional stoppage-time equaliser in the Reds’ 1-1 draw at Luton Town the following week.
