Why Was the AUC Supported by the Government, Businessmen and Wealthy

Why was the AUC supported by the government, businessmen and wealthy landowners, among others?

A) They provided protection from the ELN and FARC, something the government was failing to do.
B) The AUC promised to bring a lot of wealth to Columbia in exchange for political support and ignoring their drug trafficking.
C) It was the era of state-sponsored terrorism in Columbia.
D) The AUC made Columbia look good in its antiterrorism efforts but did very little to actually stop terrorism.