The father of Liverpool footballer Luis Diaz, Luis Manuel Diaz, has broken his silence after being held hostage by the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group in Colombia. Diaz endured almost two weeks of arduous treks and sleepless nights while in captivity before being reunited with his family on November 9th . 

Initially, Diaz thought he had been abducted for ransom, but no money was ever paid in exchange for his freedom.

Diaz's release came after 13 days of captivity, during which he was held by the ELN guerrilla group in Colombia's northern La Guajira state. His wife, Cilenis Marulanda, was also kidnapped at gunpoint but was released within hours. Diaz's capture has put the ELN into the international spotlight and threatened to rupture peace negotiations between the armed group and the Colombian government.

The 58-year-old Diaz, upon his release, expressed his gratitude for the support he received and stated his intention to continue living in his town, Barrancas, Colombia, where he has his entire family. He also emphasized the strong and great support he received from the government and expressed his trust and faith in the security provided to him in Barrancas.

Diaz's kidnapping underscored the lack of control that the ELN's top brass exerts over their rank and file, according to analysts and security sources. The incident also stoked criticism of ongoing peace talks between the ELN and the government of leftist President Gustavo Petro, who is trying to put an end to Colombia's six-decade internal conflict.