Touching video captures the emotional return of Luis Manuel Díaz Jimenez after enduring a 12-day ordeal in the jungle lair of the ELN guerrilla group.
In Barrancas, where Díaz and his wife were abducted on October 28, crowds gathered along the streets in anticipation of his return.
Residents, armed with musical instruments and banners, awaited Díaz’s arrival in his hometown in La Guajira province.
CCTV footage displayed neighbours and friends celebrating, playing music, and cheering as Díaz’s car navigated through the crowded streets.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Díaz was welcomed by tearful friends and family, embracing them tightly.
In his first public statement about the harrowing experience, he expressed gratitude, saying, “I thank God for this second chance” and acknowledged the tremendous support from Colombia and his local community.
Díaz, recovering from an injured knee, was observed resting with family by his side after returning home.
The 58-year-old disembarked from a helicopter in the border area between La Guajira and Cesar, where a UN rescue committee awaited him.
The release, facilitated by a United Nations and Catholic Church commission, followed negotiations with the ELN.
Díaz waved to onlookers as he left the aircraft, underwent a medical check, and was subsequently taken to the hospital for a thorough examination.
While his father was in captivity, Luis Diaz continued to train and played for Liverpool in their Europa League match against Toulouse.
Contrary to earlier announcements, the actual release of Luis Mane Diaz occurred today, despite the rebel group’s pledge to free him promptly.
A possible reason for the delay may be attributed to internal conflicts among Northern War Front leaders regarding the ransom.
Colombian authorities had offered a reward of £40,600 for Diaz’s safe return.
Díaz and his wife were abducted on October 28, sparking outrage in Colombia, where he is a highly popular national team player.
Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool’s manager, dedicated a recent victory to Díaz, emphasizing the collective support for their teammate.
The kidnap was reportedly orchestrated by a female guerrilla fighter named Patricia, a longtime advocate for overthrowing the Colombian government.
The ELN guerrilla group, known for its history of terror, has engaged in military-style operations, extortion, and kidnappings.
The Colombian military’s withdrawal from the guerilla-held area facilitated Díaz’s release, with troops redirecting to Barrancas to ensure a secure handover of the hostage.
Luis Díaz
Luis Fernando Díaz Marulanda
This season he played in total 10 times for 637 minutes for Premier League.
Luis Díaz scored 3 goals for Liverpool. He procured no assists. He received no yellow cards and no red cards.
His team is currently 3rd in Premier League. In the last match Liverpool lost 3-2 against Toulouse. The next match in Premier League will be against Brentford.
Liverpool performance and stats
Liverpool is currently 3rd in the Premier League with 24 points.
In the last 11 games, it has won 7 times, drawn 3 times, and lost once. In its last match, Liverpool drawn 1-1 against Luton Town.
It has a positive goal difference after scoring 24 goals and conceding 10.
Liverpool will play the next match in Premier League against Brentford on Sunday 12th of November in Liverpool. The prediction is Liverpool winning the match.