Colombia's government said that the National Liberation Army, known as ELN, was responsible for the weekend kidnapping of the parents of Liverpool and Colombian national football team striker Luis Díaz.
The peace delegation of the government, which is currently in negotiations with ELN, said in a statement it was “officially aware” that the kidnapping had been “perpetrated by a unit that belongs to ELN.”
Colombia's ombudsman called on members of the guerrilla group with whom the government is engaged in peace talks on Thursday.
"Honour your word and show that you genuinely want to renounce hostilities and, in particular, any action that affects the civilian population." said ombudsman Carlos Camargo during a broadcast message.
Díaz'a parents were kidnapped by armed men on motorcycles on Saturday at a gas station in the small town of Barrancas.
The footballer's mother, Cilenis Marulanda, was rescued within hours by police who set up roadblocks around the town of 40,000 people, which is near Colombia’s border with Venezuela.
Díaz's father remained missing, which triggered special forces to search for him in a mountain range that straddles both countries and is covered by cloud forest.
Police also offered a $48,000 reward for information leading to Diaz’s father.
Díaz is one of the most talented players on Colombia’s national team and plays for Liverpool in the English Premier League, which he joined last year in a deal worth $67 million.
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