BBVA announced Thursday that the bank is expecting to double the number of digital and mobile clients in South America, reaching 6 million in 2016. Ángel Cano, the bank's president and CEO, emphasized its commitment to the region and highlighted the fact that $800 million dollars have already been invested as part of the $2.5 billion investment plan announced last year by the bank, according to a press release.

"Today, more than ever, South America is one of the basic pillars for the group's advancement," Cano said at a BBVA conference in Colombia.

Cano said the South American region shows sustainable growth, a trend that will carry on in the medium- and long-term. The region represents a fourth of the BBVA Group's gross income and over 30 percent of its pre-tax profit, according to a press release. 

Cano said during the conference the BBVA Group is currently undergoing a change toward a more digital model, which he considered to be necessary to meet the challenges the finance industry is currently facing with greater regulation, greater transparency and accountability levels and greater competitiveness due to changes in client preferences resulting from new technology.

BBVA in the last year has increased the number of digital clients in the region to 3 million. It has also tripled the number of clients using mobile platforms, totaling over 1 million, according to the press release.