Colombia Supports Mexico’s Carstens IMF Bid, Echeverry Says

Colombia will back Mexico central bank Governor Agustin Carstens to lead the International Monetary Fund, Finance Minister Juan Carlos Echeverry told reporters in Bogota.

Colombia joins Uruguay as the second country to endorse Carstens to succeed Dominique Strauss-Kahn as managing director.

Brazil has said it will support French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde.

“In conversations with the Mexican government we have manifested our support for Carstens,” Echeverry said.

Carstens, 52, has said he expects emerging markets to support his candidacy once there is a final list of nominees to serve as the IMF’s next managing director.

Any of the IMF’s 187 member nations has until June 10 to nominate candidates for the position, the fund said in a May 20 statement.

Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said today his government hasn’t decided yet who to back.

Flaherty, speaking to reporters in Montreal, said he knows both leading candidates well and that there could be other candidates who come forward.

Carstens, in Canada today, will visit Washington on June 13.