NEW YORK, July 21, 2009 — Global Finance has announced the First Round winners in the “World’s Best Internet Banks” competition in the Middle East and Africa. This is the 10th year Global Finance has named the World’s Best Internet Banks. Details on all First Round winners will be published in the September issue. First Round winners include Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Banks and Best Consumer Internet Banks at the country level. The Regional and Global winners for these categories will be announced at an Awards Ceremony in New York City in November and published in the December issue of Global Finance. Also announced were Regional winners in Sub-Categories. Global winners in the Sub-Categories will also be announced at the Awards Ceremony and in the December issue. The list of First Round winners follows.

Winners were chosen among entries evaluated by a world-class judging panel. Global Finance editors were responsible for the final selection of winners in the First Round.

Only banks that entered the competition were considered for awards, and awards were only given in those regions, countries and categories in which there were entries.

Winning banks were selected based on the following criteria: strength of strategy for attracting and servicing online customers, success in getting clients to use web offerings, growth of online
customers, breadth of product offerings, evidence of tangible benefits gained from Internet initiatives, and web site design and functionality. Category winners, such as “best online cash
management” were selected based on the relative strength and success of those web products and services.

“In less than a decade, the Internet has transformed the way many consumers and most businesses bank,” says Joseph D. Giarraputo, publisher of Global Finance. “The continuing improvements in Internet offerings represented by this year’s entries show that more significant Internet banking developments are still ahead of us.”

See following for full listing of the World’s Best Internet Banks First Round winners for 2009 in Latin America:

Country Winners:

Best Consumer Internet Banks

Argentina Santander Rio
Brazil HSBC
Chile Banco Santander
Colombia Bancolombia
Dominican Republic Scotia Bank
Jamaica Scotia Bank
Mexico Banamex
Peru BBVA Banco Continental
Puerto Rico Banco Popular de Puerto Rico
Venezuela Mercantil Banco Universal

Country Winners:

Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Banks

Argentina Citi
Brazil Citi
Colombia Citi
Costa Rica Citi
Dominican Republic Citi
Ecuador Citi
El Salvador Citi
Guatemala Citi
Haiti Citi
Honduras Citi
Jamaica Citi
Mexico Banamex
Panama Citi
Paraguay Citi
Peru Citi
Puerto Rico Citi
Trinidad & Tobago Citi
Uruguay Citi
Venezuela Citi

Regional Sub-Category Winners:

Best Consumer Internet Banks

Best Investment Management Services Banamex
Best Bill Payment & Presentment Santander Rio
Best Online Consumer Credit Site Santander Rio
Best Web Site Design HSBC
Best Integrated Consumer Bank Site Banco Santander
Best Information Security Initiatives Banamex
Best Online Deposits Acquisition Banco Popular Puerto Rico



Regional Sub-Category Winners:

Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Banks

Best Investment Management Services Citi
Best Online Cash Management Citi
Best Trade Finance Services Citi
Best Web Site Design Citi
Best Integrated Corporate Bank Site Banamex
Best Information Security Initiatives Citi