Bank’s Treatment of Elderly Woman Sparks Outrage in Mexico
A recent incident involving BBVA (Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria) has ignited widespread condemnation across Mexican social media platforms. The case centers around a 96-year-old woman whose pension was withheld due to an inflexible requirement that she physically present herself at a bank branch for identity verification.
Incident Details and Public Reaction
Photos and videos showing Fidelia Vásquez Nuño being transported on a stretcher to a BBVA location in Oaxaca have gone viral. Confined to bed due to her age and health conditions, Ms. Vásquez has been unable to access her pension for six months. Despite her son’s efforts to provide the necessary documentation to the bank to confirm her identity, the institution insisted she appear in person, citing issues with her biometric registration.
“It’s an outrage. We’ve submitted everything: official documents, powers of attorney, and her legal representative. Yet, they’ve demanded that she come in person, even though she’s clearly not fit enough,” expressed Gilberto Ayala, her son. “The BBVA branch manager told us that the pension payment is suspended and that we need to comply with more requirements to reactivate the payment. It’s an ordeal.”
Family’s Struggle Against Bureaucracy
Ernestia, Ms. Vásquez’s daughter, echoed her brother’s frustrations, stating, “They’ve paraded us from office to office. They tell us that her facial features don’t match those on the previous record, without considering that my mother is 96 years old. Of course she’s changed physically; who doesn’t change in decades?”
The family reported that the bank provided no alternative solutions to avoid physically transporting the elderly woman, despite her delicate situation. Images of Ms. Vásquez awaiting biometric checks have circulated widely online, leading to a backlash against the bank for its perceived insensitivity.
In response to their treatment, the family has filed complaints with the National Human Rights Commission, the Ombudsman’s Office of the people of Oaxaca, and the National Commission for the Defense of Financial Services Users, seeking justice for what they view as a violation of Ms. Vásquez’s rights.
