Rebel captors keep politician 'chained by her neck'

Former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt is forced to sleep chained by her neck as punishment for having tried to escape from her rebel captors five times, an escaped hostage told family members today.

Visibly angered after hearing how leftist rebels are treating dual French-Colombian citizen Betancourt and three American military contractors, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe ordered his military to intensify efforts to free them today.