Josher Jesus Brito Diaz thought nothing of it when his telephone started to ring.
As the person accountable for his cousin’s charity — the Luis Diaz Esperanza Basis — and a part of the Liverpool winger’s quick circle, life is at all times busy. Such is the fact of being within the first household of La Guajira, the distant area in northern Colombia that calls Diaz its most well-known son.
On Sunday, October 29, Josher’s uncle Gaby was up for election to a council seat in Barrancas, a city dominated by the Cerrejon open-cast coal mine the place each Josher and his footballer cousin have been born. The Saturday had been a day of frantic exercise for Josher — driving, carrying and fetching. Diaz’s dad and mom, Luis Manuel Diaz and Cilenis Marulanda, had additionally been aiding.
“We have been getting ready for the elections the following day,” Josher tells The Athletic. “Organising the logistics, transporting folks to the polling station. My telephone saved ringing, however I had no thought why.
“I picked up half-hour later. That’s once they advised me: ‘Your uncle Luis has been kidnapped’.”
Over the following 12 days, Josher took on the duty of changing into the middleman between police and the Diaz household on the coronary heart of the largest story in Colombia and world soccer.
These tales don’t at all times finish fortunately — however, final Thursday, November 9, Luis Manuel was launched by the ELN (Nationwide Liberation Military/Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional), a left-wing guerrilla group described as a terrorist organisation by Colombia, the USA and the United Nations.
This week, Diaz returns to Colombia for the primary time because the kidnapping as his nationwide workforce hosts Brazil in a World Cup qualifying tie within the northern metropolis of Barranquilla on Thursday. Diaz’s father, nicknamed Mane, as soon as bought road meals to pay for his son to journey for trials in that metropolis — he would finally be part of Atletico Junior, Barranquilla’s largest membership, at 17.
Even after his son’s success, Luis Manuel continued to reside in Barrancas, the place he had based a small soccer faculty for the youngsters of employees on the imposing Cerrejon mine — one of many largest on the planet. That one faculty has developed into round 15 totally different applications. After his son, Luis Manuel is among the hottest and high-profile figures within the area, and the group united within the seek for him and rejoiced at his rescue.
Luis Manuel disembarks from a helicopter after his launch (Stringer/AFP through Getty Pictures)
Final Friday, Luis Manuel gave a brief, tearful press convention during which the 58-year-old briefly described his order as “a really tough time” during which he was made to stroll “an excessive amount of”.
Now, for the primary time, the household reveals the total particulars of the kidnap and the discharge — of being carried deep into the jungle on mules and stolen motorbikes, and tense negotiations.
Luis Manuel and Cilenis have been kidnapped close to a petroleum station, the place they have been pressured right into a automobile by a small group of males and pushed in direction of the close by border with Venezuela. When Josher arrived on the scene of the crime, the pursuit sprang into motion.
“I went out with the automobile to the place the place it occurred,” says Josher. “My uncle’s daughter was there, she defined to me and we instantly activated: ‘Let’s go to such and such a spot, some to this aspect, some to that aspect, some to that aspect’.
“We left (to go looking). The police have been already in touch, however I known as some acquaintances and mates, who contacted the captain in Barranquilla, who then known as the Guajira Seccional (armed unit) right here. They instantly activated the ‘padlock plan’ to comply with up and pursue the captors.”
Ninety minutes later, the police positioned the abductors’ automobile — deserted, with Cilenis inside. However Luis Manuel was nonetheless lacking. In keeping with Josher, the group who initially took Diaz’s dad and mom weren’t ELN, however “widespread criminals”.
Kidnappings have been on the rise throughout Colombia in recent times. In keeping with the nation’s police, the variety of abductions spiked by 93 per cent within the first half of 2023.
La Guajira is especially in danger. It’s an remoted area of a extremely centralised nation, with an extended and forested border with Venezuela that gives an ideal escape route for legal gangs. This geography is why guerrilla teams, such because the ELN and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), in addition to far-right and drug-affiliated paramilitaries, have been lively within the space for thus lengthy.
In 2004, when Diaz was seven years outdated, the right-wing Northern Bloc group killed 60 Wayuu folks — the indigenous tribe to which the Diaz household belongs — within the close by village of El Salado. In keeping with statistics from 2019, La Guajira was probably the most violent area of Colombia, with a murder charge of 73.1 per 100,000 folks.
“My aunt (Cilenis) mentioned that they (their abductors) weren’t folks from Colombia however that they have been foreigners, Venezuelans, they usually spoke in a Venezuelan dialect,” says Josher. “They threatened them, and advised them to maintain their heads down so that they wouldn’t see the place they have been going with the automobile.”
After parking the automobile in a distant space, the abductors flagged down a passing native, stealing his bike so they may take Luis Manuel deeper into the mountains.
Josher travelled in convoy with the police till they discovered the motorcycle, additionally deserted even deeper into the forests of the Perija mountains. From there, the journey needed to be on foot — and solely specialists may proceed the search. The operation was handed over to the navy, with the household now not in a position to be concerned in actively on the lookout for Luis Manuel. It was one of the crucial dispiriting moments of all the 12 days.
“The times of ready, of hysteria, of anguish started,” says Josher. “The primary two days have been fairly horrible as a result of we didn’t know something, (the police) have been nonetheless on the lookout for him and the household was in agony. “We didn’t know who had him and the place they have been taking him.”
By this level, information had unfold internationally.
With eyes already on Colombia as a result of elections, political figures raced to sentence the kidnap. President Gustavo Petro supplied reside updates on his Twitter feed, whereas a reward of round $48,000 (£40,000) was provided as a whole bunch of police and navy personnel have been drafted into La Guajira.
5 thousand miles throughout the Atlantic, a apprehensive Diaz was receiving updates from family members. Liverpool had a house match in opposition to Nottingham Forest that Sunday — it was nonetheless early morning within the UK as Diaz adopted proceedings, praying for excellent news. It fell to Josher to maintain him knowledgeable concerning the police’s updates.
“As a result of he was distant, he couldn’t do a lot, however he did assist to speak with the excessive palms of the federal government in order that they’d activate a robust plan to have the ability to recuperate his father,” Josher explains. “However on the time, we have been all simply ‘Run! Run!’ to get my uncle again.”
Diaz was warned in opposition to travelling again to Colombia by police, and didn’t play in opposition to Forest that day, as a substitute returning to his residence in Crosby, round 5 miles north of Anfield.
He was supported by Liverpool extensively all through the 12 days, feeling comfy sufficient to return to the squad for a match in opposition to Luton City on November 5. After scoring a late equaliser off the bench in that 1-1 draw, he lifted up his workforce jersey to disclose a T-shirt beneath.
“Libertad Para Papa,” was printed on it — Freedom for Dad.
What a second for Luis Diaz after the week he has had 🙏
On as a second half substitute, he equalises for Liverpool in stoppage time in opposition to Luton.
FT: Luton 1-1 Liverpool#LUTLIV
📽️ @SkySportsPL pic.twitter.com/IcwKE6imJT
— The Athletic | Soccer (@TheAthleticFC) November 5, 2023
“He had all the assistance he wanted,” mentioned Josher. “Additionally the followers, they supported Luis a lot, the ethical help, the help he wanted at that second… he observed that he by no means walked alone.”
Within the borderlands between Colombia and Venezuela, Luis Manuel’s captors led him deeper into the forest. He was blindfolded, travelling on scarcely-defined paths, up and down big elevations. At one level, his captors discovered a mule to alleviate some burden.
“He was doing badly,” says Josher. “He was beneath orders: ‘Stroll! Stroll! Stroll!’.”
Exhausted, he was in a position to eat common meals. Essentially the most urgent medical situation was dehydration, exacerbated by the huge journey distances.
However three days into his order, issues modified, with Luis Manuel discovering himself transferred to the ELN. It’s unclear whether or not the ELN intercepted the convoy, or whether or not the unique kidnappers took him to the guerrilla power within the hope of receiving their very own reward.
A authorities delegation has mentioned it had “official data” that the kidnapping had been carried out by “a unit belonging to the ELN”, however Josher affords a distinct model of occasions.
“When he had been kidnapped for about three days, the ELN intercepted him and took him away from them (the widespread criminals); that’s, they gave him to the ELN,” he mentioned. “When he was handed over to the ELN, they handled him higher. He by no means felt badly handled by them.”
The ELN, lively because the Nineteen Sixties, has been embroiled in an armed wrestle in opposition to the Colombian authorities for many years. With the nation usually led by right-wing presidents — though Petro, its present chief, is a leftist — the group needs to implement an ideology based mostly on communism and liberation theology throughout the nation.
Petro, a former member of one other left-wing guerrilla motion, the M-19, got here to energy in August final 12 months with a promise to finish the bloodshed. A six-month truce was agreed this July, with hopes of a extra lasting ceasefire ongoing.
In keeping with Josher, the ELN didn’t initially realise the id of its captive.
“When the ELN issued the communique, we have been reassured as a result of we mentioned, ‘They’ve him, there could also be a fast launch due to the peace course of’,” Josher says.
“They mentioned they have been going to launch him (his uncle) as a result of first, they requested, ‘What’s his title?’. They realised it had been a mistake to kidnap him, that he was Luis Diaz’s father, and that they have been going to begin the method to free him, however that it will take time.
“(The unique captors) wished to ask for cash for him, benefiting from the elections, however after the ELN grabbed him, thank God they didn’t give any cash for that.”
The Colombian authorities additionally says no ransom calls for for Luis Manuel have been made.
Then started a means of sluggish negotiation.
The ELN confirmed it had Luis Manuel, and that it wished to launch him, however demanded security ensures. In response, round 200 troopers looking for him near the border with Venezuela retreated to Barrancas.
“I used to be at all times maintaining a tally of the method, the way it was going, speaking to the authorities,” says Josher. “When the following communication got here out, the difficulty of the discharge, we have been extra affected person. We have been nonetheless anxious as a result of we didn’t have him, however we have been extra affected person — we waited, we needed to wait and the method took time. Nevertheless it was fairly tough.
“My mom, my different aunts and his sister additionally suffered, however they have been connected to God, in order that all the things would go nicely, at all times in prayer, praying all the things would go nicely.”
As soon as an settlement was reached, the practicalities got here subsequent.
A distant location within the mountains was chosen for a handover, and Luis Manuel was left there by the ELN. Bishops from the Colombian church shaped a humanitarian fee accountable for facilitating the discharge between the federal government and the religious ELN.
¡Damos gracias a Dios por la liberación del Sr. Luis Díaz! 🙏🏽Con él ya se encuentran Mons. Francisco Ceballos, obispo de Riohacha y Mons. Héctor Henao, delegado para las relaciones Iglesia-Estado, quienes conformaron la comisión humanitaria encargada de facilitar su liberación. pic.twitter.com/KK6SOvcyca
— Conferencia Episcopal de Colombia (@episcopadocol) November 9, 2023
“It took a number of days of strolling to get to the place the place the helicopter picked him up,” says Josher. “When he was launched, we have been on the UN (United Nations) workplace in Valledupar (a metropolis close to the border with Venezuela) and he was on a video convention in order that when he bought there, we may see him there straight away.
“The second was certainly one of happiness and pleasure, quick phrases: ‘I like you’. ‘Thanks, Son’. ‘Right here we’re’.”
Final weekend was too quickly for Diaz’s dad and mom to journey to England to observe their son play in opposition to Brentford at Anfield. As an alternative, Luis Manuel recovered at residence, watching as Diaz entered as a late substitute within the 3-0 residence victory. They are going to journey to Merseyside after the worldwide break.
This meant the assembly came about on Colombian soil, in Barranquilla, at Diaz’s first skilled membership. Each father and son have been in tears as they met at Colombia’s coaching camp on Monday night, with Diaz additionally embracing Francisco Ceballos, one of many bishops integral to the rescue.
Gracias Dios 🙏🏻 por permitirnos estar juntos de nuevo en familia ❤️ pic.twitter.com/3bIl4YUHga
— Luis Fernando Díaz (@LuisFDiaz19) November 14, 2023
“My dad is my hero,” Diaz mentioned just a few years in the past. “He taught me play.”
For nearly two weeks, Luis Manuel, fairly than his world-famous youngster, grew to become the story.
The aid is he can now step again out of the highlight, and proceed to observe the son he impressed.
(Prime photographs: Getty Pictures; design: Sam Richardson for The Athletic)
