Colombian Police Expand Search for Kidnapped Father of Liverpool Footballer Luis Diaz; $48,000 Reward Offered

Search through a cloud forest near Colombia-Venezuela border ongoing as kidnapping coincides with growing trend of abductions and extortion in Colombia.

• Luis Díaz's parents were abducted by armed men on motorcycles at a gas station in the small town of Barrancas, near Colombia's border with Venezuela. Diaz's mother, Cilenis Marulanda, was rescued within hours, but his father, Luis Manuel Díaz, remains missing.
• Colombian police have expanded their search to a cloud forest in northern Colombia and a mountain range that straddles both Colombia and Venezuela. Police air and land patrols, as well as special forces, are involved in the operations.
• A $48,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the recovery of Luis Manuel Díaz. Authorities have not ruled out the possibility that he could have been smuggled into Venezuela, beyond the reach of Colombian police.
• Luis Díaz, a key player for Colombia's national team and Liverpool in the English Premier League, was absent from Liverpool's match against Nottingham Forest following his parents' kidnapping. His teammates expressed their support by holding up one of his jerseys after scoring during the match.
• The abduction comes against a backdrop of increasing kidnappings for ransom and extortion in Colombia, despite attempts by the country's first left-wing government to broker ceasefires with rebel groups. To date, no armed groups in Colombia have claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.

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