Kidnappers demand 'security guarantees' to release Luis Diaz's dad after Liverpool star's emotional plea

The kidnappers who took Liverpool forward Luis Diaz's father hostage have reportedly demanded security guarantees to process the release of their victim. The culprits have called on the Colombian government to cease security operations to enable them to carry out the release.

Recall that Luis Diaz's father was kidnapped nine days ago by the left-wing ELN rebel group in Colombia. The group have pledged to release the Liverpool star's father but are yet to do so and have continued to hold peace talks with the Colombian government.

After scoring a late equalizer for the Reds in the 1-1 draw with Luton Town in the Premier League yesterday (November 5), Diaz made an emotional plea for his father's freedom.

Reacting to his plea, the kidnappers blamed the Colombian government for complicating things by starting security operations that involved occupying areas like the Perija Mountains, close to Barrancas in the Diaz family's home region of La Guajira.

The guerilla group, in a statement signed by one of their unit leaders, Commander Jose Manuel Martinez Quiroz, promised to keep their word with regard to the release of the victim but called for security operations to be halted to avoid delay.

“On November 2, we informed the country of the decision to release Mr. Luis Manuel Díaz, father of the player Luis Díaz," the statement read, as quoted by Mirror. "From that date, we began the process to accomplish this as soon as possible. We are making efforts to avoid incidents with government forces.

The statement continued:

“The area is still militarized, they are carrying out flyovers, disembarking troops, broadcasting and offering rewards as part of an intense search operation. This situation is not allowing for the execution of the release plan quickly and safely, where Mr. Luis Manuel Díaz is not at risk."

"If operations continue in the area, they will delay the release and increase the risks. We understand the anguish of the Díaz Marulanda family, to whom we say that we will keep our word to release him unilaterally, as soon as we have security guarantees for the development of the liberation operation.”

Luis Diaz still going strong with Liverpool

Diaz remains an important figure in Liverpool's squad this season despite his off-field distractions. He came off the bench and secured a point for the Reds with his late strike against Luton Town on Sunday.

So far this season, the attacker has made 12 appearances for Jurgen Klopp's side across all competitions, recording four goals and one assist. This includes three goals in the Premier League as well as one goal and one assist in the Europa League.

Up next, Liverpool will lock horns with Toulouse in the Europa League on Thursday (November 9) and Luis Diaz could be involved.