Editing Rodolfo Barrenechea

{{Infobox person
| name = Rodolfo Barrenechea
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1915|2|6|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Carlos Keen]], [[Buenos Aires Province]], [[Argentina]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1997|10|18|1915|2|6|df=yes}}
| occupation = Police officer
| era = [[Vriend Era]]
| height = 1.63 m
| title = [[Chef der Ordnungspolizei]]
| term = 15 April 1970 – 15 April 1982
| predecessor = Office established
}}

'''Rodolfo Barrenechea''' (6 February 1915 – 18 October 1997) was an Argentine police officer who served as the first [[Chef der Ordnungspolizei]] from 15 April 1970 until his retirement on 15 April 1982. He had been a senior officer in the [[Policía Federal Argentina]] before [[Jan Paap]] appointed him General der Polizei to lead the newly created [[Ordnungspolizei]].<ref name="ordnungspolizei-history"/>

== Early life and police career ==

Barrenechea was born on 6 February 1915 in [[Carlos Keen]], [[Buenos Aires Province]]. His family was Basque-Argentine and supported itself through dairy farming. He later joined the Policía Federal Argentina and had reached senior command by 1970.

After the failed police response near [[San Nicolás de los Arroyos]] on 31 October 1969, Paap ordered a review of the separate police command structures operating in Argentina. The review preceded his decision to create a single central uniformed police organization. Barrenechea was selected to head the new force.<ref name="ordnungspolizei-history"/>

== Chef der Ordnungspolizei ==

Paap created the Ordnungspolizei by Führerbefehl on 15 April 1970 and appointed Barrenechea as its first chief on the same day. Barrenechea received the rank of General der Polizei. He directed the transfer of Argentine police personnel into the new structure and placed them under an Argentine Ordnungspolizei command headquartered in [[Buenos Aires]]. The central Ordnungspolizei staff operated from [[Georgetown]], [[Tanoa]].<ref name="ordnungspolizei-history"/>

After [[Fiji]] was annexed in 1975, Barrenechea oversaw the transfer of its existing police into a Fiji Ordnungspolizei command headquartered in [[Suva]]. He remained chief during the [[Suva Crisis]], which began on 31 December 1979. Delayed instructions from Tanoa hindered the initial police response. After the crisis ended on 2 January 1980, Barrenechea ordered a permanent direct communications line between the Suva command and Ordnungspolizei headquarters in Georgetown.<ref name="ordnungspolizei-history"/>

Barrenechea remained Chef der Ordnungspolizei after [[Eef Paap]] succeeded Jan Paap as Führer in January 1980. He retired on 15 April 1982. Barrenechea died on 18 October 1997 at the age of 82.

== See also ==
* [[Ordnungspolizei]]
* [[Policía Federal Argentina]]
* [[Suva Crisis]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="ordnungspolizei-history">"[[Ordnungspolizei#History|History]]". ''Ordnungspolizei''. ''Vrienden Universe Wiki''.</ref>
}}

[[Category:People]]

[[Category:1915 births]]

[[Category:1997 deaths]]

[[Category:Vriend Era]]

[[Category:Ordnungspolizei]]
[[Category:Argentine people]]
[[Category:Police officers]]
[[Category:Tanoa Einsatzgruppen personnel]]