About 250 Colombian police and military, commanded by the director general of the National Police, are searching by land and air for Luis Manuel Diaz, father of Liverpool footballer Luis Diaz, who was kidnapped along with his wife on Saturday in the municipality of Barrancas, department of La Guajira, in northern Colombia.

The couple was in their vehicle at a gas station located in the Los Olivos neighbourhood, when at around 5:10 pm two men on motorcycles intercepted them with weapons and got into their truck to begin their escape, according to authorities.

Police said they began the search to find the parents of the Liverpool striker after residents of Barrancas alerted them to the discovery of an abandoned vehicle on the outskirts of the town. The authorities confirmed that same day that the Army and the Attorney General's Office rescued the footballer's mother, Cilenis Marulanda, in an operation.

President Gustavo Petro then ordered the director general of the National Police, William Salamanca, to go to the region and lead the operation.

This footage was filmed and produced 29 October 2023.

About 250 Colombian police and military, commanded by the director general of the National Police, are searching by land and air for Luis Manuel Diaz, father of soccer star Luis Diaz, who was kidnapped along with his wife on Saturday in the municipality of Barrancas, department of La Guajira, in northern Colombia.

The couple was in their vehicle at a gas station located in the Los Olivos neighborhood, when at around 5:10 p.m. two men on motorcycles intercepted them with weapons and got into their truck to begin their escape, according to authorities.

Police said they began the search to find the parents of the Liverpool England striker after residents of Barrancas alerted them to the discovery of an abandoned vehicle on the outskirts of the town. The authorities confirmed that same day that the Army and the Attorney General's Office rescued the soccer player's mother, Cilenis Marulanda, in an operation.

President Gustavo Petro then ordered the director general of the National Police, William Salamanca, to go to the region and lead the operation.

SHOTLIST:
1. Colombian flag in Bogota (October 29, 2023);
2. Luis Diaz speaking to the media prior to a training session in Barranquilla (October 9, 2023) ;
3. Luis Diaz at a press conference prior to the match vs. Qatar (June 18, 2019) ;
4. Various Defense Forces in the capital (Oct 29, 2023);
5. Colombian flag in Bogota (October 29, 2023).