Investment securities (Details 4) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Schedule of Held-to-maturity Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	$ 33,759	$ 34,113
Unrealized Gross Gain	8	58
Unrealized Gross Loss	133	22
Fair Value	33,634	34,149
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Held-to-maturity Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	20,752
Unrealized Gross Gain	8
Unrealized Gross Loss	18
Fair Value	20,742
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] \| Costa Rica [Member]
Schedule of Held-to-maturity Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	2,000
Unrealized Gross Gain	0
Unrealized Gross Loss	0
Fair Value	2,000
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] \| Honduras [Member]
Schedule of Held-to-maturity Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	4,118
Unrealized Gross Gain	0
Unrealized Gross Loss	0
Fair Value	4,118
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] \| Panama [Member]
Schedule of Held-to-maturity Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	14,634	12,660
Unrealized Gross Gain	8	0
Unrealized Gross Loss	18	0
Fair Value	14,624	12,660
Sovereign Debt [Member]
Schedule of Held-to-maturity Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost		21,453
Unrealized Gross Gain		58
Unrealized Gross Loss		22
Fair Value		21,489
Sovereign Debt [Member] \| Honduras [Member]
Schedule of Held-to-maturity Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost		6,442
Unrealized Gross Gain		9
Unrealized Gross Loss		19
Fair Value		6,432
Sovereign Debt [Member] \| Panama [Member]
Schedule of Held-to-maturity Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost		2,000
Unrealized Gross Gain		45
Unrealized Gross Loss		0
Fair Value		2,045
Sovereign Debt [Member] \| Colombia [Member]
Schedule of Held-to-maturity Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	13,007	13,011
Unrealized Gross Gain	0	4
Unrealized Gross Loss	115	3
Fair Value	$ 12,892	$ 13,012

Amount before other than temporary impairment (OTTI) accretion, of investments in debt securities classified as held-to-maturity.

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesAmortizedCostBeforeOtherThanTemporaryImpairment
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value of investments in debt securities classified as held-to-maturity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 5

-Subparagraph (aa)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27724398&loc=d3e27232-111563

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 5

-Subparagraph (f)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27724398&loc=d3e27232-111563

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 5

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27724398&loc=d3e27232-111563

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of unrecognized gain before loss on investments in held-to-maturity securities.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesUnrecognizedHoldingGains
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of unrecognized loss before gain on investments in held-to-maturity securities. Excludes write-down for other than temporary impairment (OTTI).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesUnrecognizedHoldingLosses
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ScheduleOfHeldToMaturitySecuritiesLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration