Luis Díaz made an extraordinary return for Liverpool as he scored a 95th minute equaliser as his team drew 1-1 with Luton Town in the Premier League while awaiting the promised release of his kidnapped father by Colombia’s National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas on Sunday.
After scoring his late goal, Díaz lifted his Liverpool shirt to reveal a message underneath that said: “Libertad para papá” (Freedom for Dad.)
The Colombia international had missed Liverpool’s last two matches after his mother Cilenis Marulanda and father Luis Manuel Díaz were seized by armed men in northern Colombia. His mother was freed within hours and the ELN guerrillas said on Thursday they would free his father.
The 26-year-old was brought on by manager Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool searched for a way back into the game against Premier League strugglers Luton who had gone ahead shortly before Díaz’s introduction thanks to a goal from Tahith Chong.
However, just as it seemed as though Liverpool would come away with nothing from a match that they had dominated for the most part, Díaz leapt highest at the back post to meet Harvey Elliott‘s cross to head the ball beyond Luton goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski.
Colombia’s government said on Thursday that the ELN was responsible for the weekend kidnapping of the father of the Colombia forward.
Díaz’s father will be released “as soon as possible,” ELN representative Juan Carlos Cuellar told a community meeting, in a video clip shared by the ELN with Reuters.
The peace delegation of the government, which is currently in negotiations with ELN, said in a statement earlier Thursday that it was “officially aware” that the kidnapping had been “perpetrated by a unit that belongs to ELN.”
“We demand that the ELN releases immediately Mr. Luis Manuel Díaz and we say as of now that they are entirely responsible to secure his life and integrity,” said Otty Patiño, who leads the peace delegation.