Liverpool star Luis Diaz‘s family have demanded the kidnappers holding his father hostage offer proof he is alive as concern about their failure to release him grows.

The left-wing ELN insurgent group so far failed to make good on its promise to free Luis Manuel Diaz despite saying at the end of last week it was working on liberating him as soon as possible.

It went on to accuse the Colombian government of hindering its efforts by maintaining a high military and police presence in the Perija Mountains on Colombia’s border with Venezuela where father-of-four Luis Manuel is thought to be held.

But despite the government responding by ordering the withdrawal of troops and elite cops to Barrancas where the father-of-four was kidnapped on October 28, the 11-day ordeal is ongoing for footballer trainer Luis Manuel’s family. The missing man’s brother Gabi admitted they are worried and has begged the ELN, branded a terrorist organisation by the US government and EU, to offer proof the 58-year-old is still alive.

He said: ‘What we would most like is to have that proof by seeing him and knowing what situation our brother, our relative, our papa, our son is in, because my father is here and wants to see his son.’

Luis Alfonso Diaz, the footballer’s cousin, told Colombian state broadcaster RNC: ‘We are asking the ELN to send us proof of how Luis Manuel is now so we can have some peace of mind.’

The demands are being echoed by government officials and Colombian media which has accused the captors of playing games and speculated it claims army and police activity was complicating the freedom process was an attempt to buy time while it negotiates a ransom demand.

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