Phantom cows and missing millions spark financial scandal in Uruguay


Sandra Palleiro stands near a cow in a field at a farm, in Artigas, Uruguay April 9, 2025. REUTERS/Martin Varela Umpierrez

ARTIGAS, Uruguay (Reuters) - SandraPalleiro is on the hunt for her lost cows. The 60-year-old accountant is standing in a muddy field at the end of a farm track in Uruguay's remote border region with Brazil.

She has traveled 600 kilometers (370 miles) from the capital, Montevideo, to find 61 cattle she owns, at least on paper. The missing bovines were part of a "cow bond" scheme that has collapsed, causing one of Uruguay's biggest ever financial scandals.

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