EXHIBIT 32.1

                            CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
                             18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350

     Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, the undersigned officer of Popular,
Inc. (the "Company"), hereby certifies that the Company's Annual Report on Form
10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005 (the "Report") fully complies with the
requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d), as applicable, of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 and that the information contained in the Report fairly
presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of
operations of the Company.

Dated: March 14, 2006


                                        /s/ Richard L. Carrion
                                        ----------------------------------------
                                        Name: Richard L. Carrion
                                        Title: Chief Executive Officer

     The foregoing certification is being furnished solely pursuant to 18 U.S.C.
Section 1350 and shall not, except to the extent required by the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002, be deemed "filed" for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to the liability of that
Section.

     A signed original of this written statement has been provided to the
Company and will be retained by the Company and furnished to the Securities and
Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.