[ad_1]
The authorities in Colombia have mobilized the nationwide police and the army to search for the daddy of the soccer star Luis Díaz, a Colombian standout for the English membership Liverpool whose dad and mom had been kidnapped in his hometown on Saturday. Given soccer’s recognition right here, the incident captured the South American nation’s consideration, however it additionally stoked fears of accelerating insecurity in a nation the place such kidnappings had been changing into much less widespread till a surge lately.
Mr. Díaz’s mom, Cilenis Marulanda, was rescued hours after she was kidnapped, President Gustavo Petro of Colombia said on Saturday night time. The Colombian nationwide police, the army and a unit that makes a speciality of kidnapping dispatched officers, troopers, automobiles and plane to seek out his father, Luis Manuel Díaz.
The dad and mom of Mr. Díaz, who is named Lucho, had been in a automobile at a gasoline station in Barrancas — a city in La Guajira, a area of northern Colombia alongside the Caribbean Sea and bordering Venezuela — after they had been kidnapped by armed males on Saturday afternoon, in response to local reports and the authorities.
The Colombian authorities on Sunday morning introduced a reward of 200 million pesos (roughly $48,000) for any info that might assist find the elder Mr. Díaz.
They mentioned they had been in a rush to seek out him as a result of they feared that he is perhaps taken to neighboring Venezuela, a rustic marred by years of political, financial and social unrest. Luis Fernando Velasco, the Colombian minister of the inside, told reporters on Sunday that the authorities had been attempting to dam the suspects’ path to Venezuela as a result of their touring there was “one speculation” they had been working below.
“It’s not the one one, to cowl all sides,” he continued. “However we’re doing a huge operation, and I ask all folks in La Guajira that is perhaps within the space to assist us and switch in all the knowledge that they will. What they’ve executed with Lucho Díaz isn’t just to Lucho Díaz however to all of Colombia, and all of Colombia must react.”
Whereas particulars of Ms. Marulanda’s rescue weren’t instantly recognized, she was protected as of Saturday night time, William René Salamanca, the top of the Colombian nationwide police, mentioned. In a video posted on Saturday night time on X, previously often known as Twitter, Mr. Salamanca spoke briefly on the telephone with Ms. Marulanda.
In one other video, posted by Mr. Salamanca on Sunday morning, he spoke on the telephone with the youthful Mr. Díaz through the Colombian ambassador to the UK, Roy Barreras. Mr. Salamanca advised Mr. Díaz, 26, that the Colombian authorities had been sparing no effort in looking for his father and that the scenario had moved the nation. He additionally advised Mr. Díaz that he was already in La Guajira and was headed to his hometown quickly to assist lead the operation.
Mr. Díaz is reportedly incomes greater than $3 million a yr, and thus might have been a goal for extortion, mentioned Sergio Guzmán, the director of Colombia Danger Evaluation, a political danger consultancy, primarily based within the Colombian capital, Bogotá.
“I’m presuming it’s an extortion kidnapping, which wouldn’t essentially be out of the norm, as a result of Luis Díaz will not be politically linked or an necessary participant politically, and neither are his dad and mom,” Mr. Guzmán mentioned. “However his notoriety, his rise to fame and perceived wealth could possibly be extra for that sort of hostage taking.”
Though kidnappings have dropped dramatically since Colombia’s peace treaty with rebels in 2016, Mr. Guzmán mentioned the apply had surged over the previous two years. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, used extortion kidnapping to fund their operations. However lately, Mr. Guzmán mentioned, other criminal groups have been battling for territory beforehand held by the demobilized FARC, and thus extra extortions, kidnappings and ransoms have been occurring.
“I believe it feeds into the present pessimism in regards to the nation’s safety scenario,” Mr. Guzmán mentioned of the kidnapping of Mr. Díaz’s dad and mom. He additionally famous that Colombians had been voting on Sunday in regional elections. “If you happen to have a look at the most recent polls, nearly all of Colombians really feel dissatisfied with the general route of the nation, but additionally residents really feel much less protected than they’ve beforehand,” he mentioned.
Soccer is the most well-liked sport within the nation of practically 52 million, and Mr. Díaz has shined for his nation’s nationwide crew, successful the Golden Boot award, alongside the Argentine famous person Lionel Messi, for being the highest scorer in the course of the 2021 Copa América match.
Mr. Díaz’s father was a gifted newbie participant in Barrancas and educated his son. Mr. Díaz, who’s of Wayúu descent and comes from an space typically ignored for soccer expertise, rose from enjoying for his native Indigenous crew to bigger golf equipment in Colombia earlier than ultimately touchdown in Europe after which final yr at Liverpool, one of many largest golf equipment on the planet, within the Premier League in England.
Mr. Díaz, who has scored twice in 9 appearances for Liverpool this season, was not within the lineup on Sunday towards Nottingham Forest after a last-minute change by Liverpool’s supervisor, Jürgen Klopp. Mr. Klopp advised reporters on Sunday that what was occurring to Mr. Díaz and his household was “a worrying scenario for all of us and it was a reasonably robust night time.”
After the Liverpool participant Diogo Jota scored throughout Sunday’s 3-0 win, he ran to the sideline and held up Mr. Díaz’s jersey.
“It’s our fervent hope that the matter is resolved safely and on the earliest attainable alternative,” Liverpool said in a press release on Sunday morning. “Within the meantime, the participant’s welfare will proceed to be our rapid precedence.”
[ad_2]
Source link