Search Intensifies for Kidnapped Father of Liverpool Footballer Luis Diaz Amid Rising Kidnapping Rates in Colombia

Over 200 security forces deployed in manhunt involving air and land patrols, alongside a £40,000 reward for information regarding Diaz's father's whereabouts, amid fears victim may be smuggled across Venezuelan border.

Footballer Luis Diaz's parents were abducted from a petrol station in Barrancas, northern Colombia; his mother rescued within hours but his father remains missing.
The Colombian government has mobilized a significant search operation, including air and land patrols and over 200 security forces, to find Diaz's father.
A clear connection to the rising kidnapping rates in Colombia has been drawn, nearly a year after the government implemented a 'total peace' strategy to negotiate with criminal structures and gangs.
Security forces are concerned Diaz's father may have been smuggled across the border into Venezuela as the geographical location would provide cover for the kidnappers.
The Colombian public, specifically residents of the small town of Barrancas, have shown immense support for the Diaz family, holding a candlelight march demanding the safe return of Diaz's father.
£40,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the location of Diaz's father.