U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry raised the American flag on Friday over the U.S Embassy in Cuba's capital, marking the ceremonial re-opening of the diplomatic facility after the two countries agreed to restore ties that were severed over 50 years ago. VOA strolled Havana's streets ahead of Kerry's arrival to check the mood among residents.
Life in Havana
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Men sell coconut water in the working-class neighborhood of Jaimanita, in Havana, Cuba, Aug. 13, 2015. (Celia Mendoza/VOA)
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Yusdel Marrero, 33, is a driver because it allows him to make more money, even though he went to school and graduated as a transportation engineer. He rests on the doorframe of his childhood home in the working-class neighborhood of Jaimanita, in Havana, Cuba, Aug.
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A Cuban man looks into the street from his balcony, in Havana, Aug. 13, 2015. (Celia Mendoza/VOA)
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Young boys wear the colors of the American flag outside the U.S. Embassy minutes before the arrival of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry for the official flag-raising ceremony, Aug. 14, 2015. (Celia Mendoza/VOA)