Colombia’s ELN guerrilla group on Thursday freed the father of Liverpool footballer Luis Diaz, 12 days after kidnapping him, according to live TV footage.

After being handed over by the rebels to a humanitarian mission, Luis Manuel Diaz arrived by helicopter in the northeastern city of Valledupar, some 90 kilometers (56 miles) from his hometown of Barrancas where he was abducted with his wife on October 28. She was rescued the same day.

“Long live Freedom and Peace,” President Gustavo Petro wrote on X, formerly Twitter, after the release.

More details on SportsDesk

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