Spanish retiree fights digital divide, seeks ‘human’ help

San Juan speaks with the press outside the Economy Ministry in Madrid, Spain on Feb 8, 2022. The retiree, who is campaigning to keep in-person customer services at bank branches, has handed Spanish government officials a petition with more than 610,000 signatures saying he felt ‘left out’ by the shift to online banking. — AP

MADRID: A Spanish retiree campaigning to keep in-person customer services at bank branches because he felt “left out” by the shift to online banking on Feb 8 is handing government officials a petition with more than 610,000 signatures, amid a wave of national support for his cause.

Carlos San Juan, 78, a retired doctor from Valencia in southeast Spain, travelled to Madrid and was to hand the signatures to the secretary of state for the treasury, Carlos Cuerpo, at the Economy Ministry.