[PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LOGO] - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP PO Box 363566 San Juan PR 00936-3566 Telephone (787) 754-9000 CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTS ------------------------------- We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of our report dated March 5, 1999 relating to the financial statements, which appears on page F-29 of the 1998 Annual Report to Shareholders of Popular, Inc., which is incorporated by reference in Popular, Inc.'s Annual Report on Form 10K for the year ended December 31, 1998. /s/ PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP San Juan, Puerto Rico January 14, 2000