Luis Díaz's mother, Cilenis Marulanda, was seen publicly for the first time since she was kidnapped after leading a march demanding the release of her father, Luis Manuel Diaz.
Both of the Liverpool star's parents were dropped off near their home in Colombia's La Guajira region on Saturday. Four gunmen on motorbikes were responsible for the kidnapping, although they freed Diaz's mother later that night.
However, his father remained a hostage as Colombian police and military forces cooperated to try to bring him home safely. Diaz took to social media to share details about the march, of which his mother was an integral part.
He also called on those involved to "carry candles to light up hope" and called on Diaz Snr's captors to "release him now".
Diaz, who was left out of Liverpool's win over Nottingham Forest at the weekend, did not take part in the march after being advised not to return to his homeland due to concerns about his safety.
Among the hundreds of attendees were Alfonso Diaz, the Liverpool star's grandfather, and his uncle Gabriel. A reward of 200 million Colombian pesos, equivalent to around £40,000, is being offered for information on Diaz Snr's potential whereabouts.
Cilenis was seen wearing a T-shirt with her partner's picture printed on the front, with the caption "Freedom for Manuel Diaz", while others carried white balloons across the street. Separate posters were also held up during the march, reading "No Kidnapping, Free Manuel," as hundreds of people demanded his safe release.
Family and friends during the march
Army commandos guard the border to try to prevent Diaz Snr. from being taken to neighboring Venezuela. However, there are fears that it may have been transported through the jungle that separates the two South American countries.
“Regarding this [in Venezuela], I cannot provide any information; I want to be very careful,” said Police Director General William Salamanca. I flew over the area, and they would cross the Perija Mountains, but I think humans can't do that in this area.
“We tried to leave some commandos there, but it was impossible because of the density of the jungle. Also, since last night the army sealed off the lower part of the mountain range, that would be leaving Venezuela."
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