Two suspects involved in the kidnapping of the parents of Liverpool soccer player Luis Díaz have been ordered to prison by a judge, according to Colombia’s Prosecutor’s Office. The suspects, Andrés Alcires Bolívar and Marlon Rafael Brito, are accused of having connections with the National Liberation Army (ELN) and playing a role in planning and executing the abductions that took place on October 28 in Barrancas, Colombia.
Luis Manuel Díaz Jiménez and Cilenis Marulanda, the parents of Luis Díaz, were kidnapped by armed men on motorcycles at a gas station. Marulanda was rescued by the police a few hours later, while Díaz’s father remained captive for 12 days before being released near the Serranía del Perijá, close to the Venezuela border.
According to prosecutors, Alcires Bolívar, a merchant in La Guajira, was contacted by an ELN member to assist in the kidnapping. He allegedly convinced someone close to the Díaz family to participate and gather information about the victims’ routines. Rafael Brito is accused of aiding in the logistics of the kidnapping, including planning the deception used to abduct Díaz Jiménez and Marulanda at the gas station.
Both suspects have denied their involvement in the kidnapping and other charges. Luis Díaz plays for the English club Liverpool and Colombia’s national soccer team.
The ELN, a guerrilla group, acknowledged the kidnapping and claimed it was a mistake. The group’s top leadership ordered the release of Díaz’s father. The kidnapping occurred during peace negotiations between the Colombian government and the ELN.
