The US raises its flag at the American embassy in Cuba, marking the restoration in diplomatic relations after more than 50 years of hostility.
US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Cuba on Friday – the first visit by a chief American diplomat in 70 years – in a sign of warming ties between the two countries.
Cuba reopened its embassy in Washington DC last month, displaying the very same flag they took down 54 years ago. The American embassy in Cuba will use a new flag, although three retired marines who last lowered the flag in 1961 were used in the ceremony.
Speaking before the ceremony, Mr Kerry said the United States will remain a “champion of democratic principles and reforms” in Cuba but that Cubans should determine the future of their communist-governed country.
“We remain convinced the people of Cuba would be best served by a genuine democracy, where people are free to choose their leaders, express their ideas, and practice their faith; where the commitment to economic and social justice is realised more fully; where institutions are answerable to those they serve; and where civil society is independent and allowed to flourish.”
The ceremony was attended by Cuban and American officials and some Cuban locals. But, controversially, no Cuban dissidents will attend.
Republican senator Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban American parents, criticised the Obama administration for bringing “legitimacy to a state sponsor of terror.”
“President Obama has rewarded the Castro regime for its repressive tactics and persistent, patient opposition to American interests,” said the Republican presidential candidate.
“He has unilaterally given up on a half-century worth of policy toward the Castro regime that was agreed upon by presidents of both parties.”