More than 300 paramilitary members have been arrested in the last year, and investigators are uncovering the group's financial network.

Colombia has not made a formal request for the money, but the authorities here say $8,000 is needed per paramilitary member, up to $160 million.

At least 1,500 people have fled several small villages in the area, which they said were being terrorized by local paramilitary members.

"This shows our reality, not like most people think," said Byron Ríos, 22, a former paramilitary member who appears in the film.

The ministry also estimated that the number of paramilitary members rose, to 8,150 last year from 850 in 1992.

In April of that very year, Castaño was killed probably by disputes among the same paramilitary members.

The paramilitary members' processing of human fat from liposuction into designer soap is a Holocaust reference.

Ms. Bolaños, the former paramilitary member, said the group used an office solely to oversee the national collection of funds.

Another is a young man who was kidnapped by paramilitary members on a killing spree and forced to dig graves alongside others.

They searched for white paramilitary members, but many had already fled to Texas or the hills.