salvatore mancuso was once the leader of the paramilitaries.a says the reason they paid the money was because your people would kill them if they didn't. is that true? >> [speaking spanish] >> no, it is not true. they paid taxes because we were like a state in the area and because we were providing them with protection which enabled them to continue making investments and a financial profit. >> what would have happened if the companies had not paid? >> the truth is, we never thought about what would happen because they did so willingly. >> did they have a choice? >> yes, they had a choice. they could go to the local police or army for protection from the guerillas, but the army and police at that time were barely able to protect themselves. >> mancuso helped negotiate a deal with the colombian government that allowed more than 30,000 paramilitaries to give up their arms and demobilize in return for reduced prison sentences. as part of the deal, the paramilitaries must truthfully confess to all crimes, or face much harsher penalties. >> was chiq