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Cash and cash equivalents (Details 1) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | Dec. 31, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2016
--- | --- | ---
Interest-Bearing Deposits In Banks |  |  |  |
Short-term deposits, classified as cash equivalents |  | $ 661,016 |  | $ 979,882
Pledged deposits |  |  |  |
Other cash and cash equivalents |  | 53,241 |  | 61,812
Time deposits [Member] |  |  |  |
Interest-Bearing Deposits In Banks |  |  |  |
Short-term deposits, classified as cash equivalents | [1] | $ 0 |  | $ 125,000
Deposit Interest Rate Percentage | [1] | 0.00% |  |
Time deposits [Member] | Bottom of range [member] |  |  |  |
Interest-Bearing Deposits In Banks |  |  |  |
Deposit Interest Rate Percentage | [1] |  |  | 0.83%
Time deposits [Member] | Top of range [member] |  |  |  |
Interest-Bearing Deposits In Banks |  |  |  |
Deposit Interest Rate Percentage | [1] |  |  | 0.88%
Demand Deposit [Member] |  |  |  |
Interest-Bearing Deposits In Banks |  |  |  |
Short-term deposits, classified as cash equivalents | [2] | $ 661,016 |  | $ 854,882
Demand Deposit [Member] | Bottom of range [member] |  |  |  |
Interest-Bearing Deposits In Banks |  |  |  |
Deposit Interest Rate Percentage |  | 0.25% | [2] | 0.01%
Demand Deposit [Member] | Top of range [member] |  |  |  |
Interest-Bearing Deposits In Banks |  |  |  |
Deposit Interest Rate Percentage | [2] | 1.55% |  | 0.77%
New york [Member] |  |  |  |
Pledged deposits |  |  |  |
Other cash and cash equivalents | [3] | $ 3,000 |  | $ 2,800
Pleged Deposists Interest Rate Percentage | [3] | 0.00% |  | 0.00%
Panama [Member] |  |  |  |
Pledged deposits |  |  |  |
Other cash and cash equivalents | [4] | $ 50,241 |  | $ 59,012
Pleged Deposists Interest Rate Percentage | [4] | 1.42% |  | 0.66%
[1] | Time deposits “overnight” calculated on an average interest rate.
[2] | Demand deposits with bearing interest based on the daily rates determined by banks.
[3] | The New York Agency had a pledged deposit with the New York State Banking Department, as required by law since March 1994.
[4] | The Bank had pledged deposits to secure derivative financial instruments transactions.

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