Following his appointment as president of the Latin American Federation of Banks (Felaban) for 2026-2028, Ronald Gutiérrez (Bolivia) stated today that the emergence of digital neobanks is compelling traditional banking to adapt to the new context of the financial system.
“The emergence of neobanks—a relatively new phenomenon—forces traditional banking to also adjust to this new situation,” he remarked on Andina Canal Online.
“The digitalization process is part of this entire effort and, naturally, must be complemented and supported by artificial intelligence,” he added.
During the 60th Annual Assembly of Felaban, Ronald Gutiérrez noted that banks are already utilizing artificial intelligence to enhance productivity and operational processes.
“The primary focus must always be on improving services for clients, as they should be the ones to benefit from all the work that banks carry out,” he asserted.
“Digitalization has brought significant improvements in terms of convenience and ease, ensuring that the primary beneficiaries are the clients of the financial system,” he added.
The new president of Felaban, serving for the 2026–2028 term, acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic acted as a “catalyst” for digitalization and financial inclusion globally.
“Remarkably, an event of that nature ‘triggered’ all this work on a global scale and has had a major impact on banking penetration and financial inclusion,” he maintained.
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Published: 11/6/2026