Manuel Piñeiro

Manuel Piñeiro Losada (March 12, 1934 – May 14, 1998), also known as Barbarroja (Spanish: "red beard") was Cuban revolutionary who became the first head of the Cuban General Intelligence Directorate (Dirección General de Inteligencia). Born in Matanzas, the son of a Bacardi executive, Piñeiro left his business studies at Columbia University early to join the 1959 Cuban Revolution.

Piñeiro was the Cuban DGI chief from 1961-1964. He then became Deputy Minister of the Interior in charge of the state security apparatus from 1964-1968. A Soviet reorganization of the DGI forced Piñeiro out of his position and he was then placed in charge of the DGI's Latin American affairs division.

He died in a 1998 car crash in Havana.

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