Police foil extortion bomb plot in Ecuador.

Criminals in Ecuador strapped a bomb to a security guard after his employer refused to pay protection money. The bomb was defused by explosives experts on the streets of Guayaquil. The victim was a security guard at a jewelry store, and was allegedly taken after its owner refused to be shaken down by criminals. Ecuador is one of the most violent countries in the region, with a wave of crime blamed on gang rivalries, drug trafficking, kidnappings, and extortion.