Uruguay's new president has restored diplomatic ties with Cuba.
The move came Tuesday, shortly after Tabare Vazquez was sworn into office in Montevideo.
Diplomatic relations between the two nations were broken in 2002 after Mr. Vazquez's predecessor, Jorge Batlle, criticized Cuba over its human rights record.
Uruguay's 65-year-old president is a cancer specialist and former mayor of Montevideo.
Cuban leader Fidel Castro canceled his plans to attend the inauguration for health reasons.
Among those attending the inauguration were the presidents of Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Peru as well as Spain's Crown Prince Felipe. The U.S. delegation was led by Labor Secretary Elaine Chao.
U.S. State Department spokesman Adam Ereli Tuesday offered congratuatlions to the New President and said the United States looks forward to working with him.