Average recorded investment and interest income recognized on impaired loans (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	$ 940,856	$ 1,292,578
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	7,671	10,377
Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With F D I C [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	13,243	66,327
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	140	59
Non Covered Loans [Member] | Commercial Multi Family [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	8,856	18,285
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	8	103
Non Covered Loans [Member] | Commercial Real Estate Non Owner Occupied [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	91,414	103,099
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	483	435
Non Covered Loans [Member] | Commercial Real Estate Owner Occupied [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	112,062	174,016
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	608	554
Non Covered Loans [Member] | Commercial And Industrial Loans [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	103,915	119,404
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	742	599
Non Covered Loans [Member] | Commercial Real Estate Construction Financing Receivable Member
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	22,249	45,604
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	391
Non Covered Loans [Member] | Mortgages [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	455,293	621,447
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	5,690	8,236
Non Covered Loans [Member] | Legacy [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	4,878	16,888
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	0
Non Covered Loans [Member] | Finance Leases Portfolio Segment Member
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	2,674	4,620
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	0
Non Covered Loans [Member] | Consumer Loan [Member] | Consumer Credit Card Financing Receivable [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	44,458	33,332
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	0
Non Covered Loans [Member] | Consumer Loan [Member] | Home Equity Line of Credit [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	1,325	201
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	0
Non Covered Loans [Member] | Consumer Loan [Member] | Personal [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	77,032	85,796
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	0
Non Covered Loans [Member] | Consumer Loan [Member] | Consumer Loans Auto Financing Receivable [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	1,529	908
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	0
Non Covered Loans [Member] | Consumer Loan [Member] | Consumer Other Financing Receivable Member
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	1,928	2,651
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	0
PUERTO RICO
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	836,808	1,138,508
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	7,164	9,760
PUERTO RICO | Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With F D I C [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	13,243	66,327
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	140	59
PUERTO RICO | Non Covered Loans [Member] | Commercial Multi Family [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	3,194	10,927
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	8	64
PUERTO RICO | Non Covered Loans [Member] | Commercial Real Estate Non Owner Occupied [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	71,167	59,673
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	483	400
PUERTO RICO | Non Covered Loans [Member] | Commercial Real Estate Owner Occupied [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	98,389	153,908
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	608	528
PUERTO RICO | Non Covered Loans [Member] | Commercial And Industrial Loans [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	102,206	115,375
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	742	584
PUERTO RICO | Non Covered Loans [Member] | Commercial Real Estate Construction Financing Receivable Member
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	19,417	39,682
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	391
PUERTO RICO | Non Covered Loans [Member] | Mortgages [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	402,700	567,804
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	5,183	7,734
PUERTO RICO | Non Covered Loans [Member] | Legacy [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	0	0
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	0
PUERTO RICO | Non Covered Loans [Member] | Finance Leases Portfolio Segment Member
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	2,674	4,620
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	0
PUERTO RICO | Non Covered Loans [Member] | Consumer Loan [Member] | Consumer Credit Card Financing Receivable [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	44,458	33,332
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	0
PUERTO RICO | Non Covered Loans [Member] | Consumer Loan [Member] | Home Equity Line of Credit [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	0	0
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	0
PUERTO RICO | Non Covered Loans [Member] | Consumer Loan [Member] | Personal [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	77,032	85,796
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	0
PUERTO RICO | Non Covered Loans [Member] | Consumer Loan [Member] | Consumer Loans Auto Financing Receivable [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	1,441	817
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	0
PUERTO RICO | Non Covered Loans [Member] | Consumer Loan [Member] | Consumer Other Financing Receivable Member
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	887	247
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	0
UNITED STATES
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	104,048	154,070
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	507	617
UNITED STATES | Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With F D I C [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	0	0
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	0
UNITED STATES | Non Covered Loans [Member] | Commercial Multi Family [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	5,662	7,358
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	39
UNITED STATES | Non Covered Loans [Member] | Commercial Real Estate Non Owner Occupied [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	20,247	43,426
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	35
UNITED STATES | Non Covered Loans [Member] | Commercial Real Estate Owner Occupied [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	13,673	20,108
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	26
UNITED STATES | Non Covered Loans [Member] | Commercial And Industrial Loans [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	1,709	4,029
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	15
UNITED STATES | Non Covered Loans [Member] | Commercial Real Estate Construction Financing Receivable Member
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	2,832	5,922
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	0
UNITED STATES | Non Covered Loans [Member] | Mortgages [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	52,593	53,643
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	507	502
UNITED STATES | Non Covered Loans [Member] | Legacy [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	4,878	16,888
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	0
UNITED STATES | Non Covered Loans [Member] | Finance Leases Portfolio Segment Member
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	0	0
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	0
UNITED STATES | Non Covered Loans [Member] | Consumer Loan [Member] | Consumer Credit Card Financing Receivable [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	0	0
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	0
UNITED STATES | Non Covered Loans [Member] | Consumer Loan [Member] | Home Equity Line of Credit [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	1,325	201
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	0
UNITED STATES | Non Covered Loans [Member] | Consumer Loan [Member] | Personal [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	0	0
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	0
UNITED STATES | Non Covered Loans [Member] | Consumer Loan [Member] | Consumer Loans Auto Financing Receivable [Member]
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	88	91
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	0	0
UNITED STATES | Non Covered Loans [Member] | Consumer Loan [Member] | Consumer Other Financing Receivable Member
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]
Average Recorded Investment	1,041	2,404
Impaired Financing Receivable Interest Income Accrual Method	$ 0	$ 0