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                                                              EXHIBIT (23)(a)



                      CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS



To the Board of Directors
BanPonce Corporation


We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in the Prospectus
constituting part of this Registration Statement on Form S-3 of our report
dated January 28, 1994 which appears on page 28 of the 1993 Annual Report to
Shareholders of BanPonce Corporation, which is incorporated by reference in
BanPonce Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December
31, 1993.  We also consent to the reference to us under the heading "Experts"
in such Prospectus.




/s/ PRICE WATERHOUSE
- --------------------
Price Waterhouse

San Juan, Puerto Rico
June 23, 1994