President Barack Obama said the United States will "speak out forcefully" for the freedom of the Cuban people, after announcing a move toward normalizing ties with Cuba and opening an embassy on the communist-led island nation.
US to Continue Push for Democracy, Rights in Cuba
![MSNBC photographer Tony Zumbado reads the Miami Herald in the Little Havana area of Miami, as news agencies from all over the world prepare to cover the reaction of Cuban-Americans to the surprising move by President Barack Obama to restore the nation's ties with Cuba, Miami, Florida, Dec. 18, 2014.](https://gdb.voanews.com/3986375C-C2E0-4DEE-BD21-906D5586985E_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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MSNBC photographer Tony Zumbado reads the Miami Herald in the Little Havana area of Miami, as news agencies from all over the world prepare to cover the reaction of Cuban-Americans to the surprising move by President Barack Obama to restore the nation's ties with Cuba, Miami, Florida, Dec. 18, 2014.
![Cuban-American Jose Feliu (right) enjoys a Cuban coffee as he prepares to go to work in the Little Havana area of Miami, Dec. 18, 2014.](https://gdb.voanews.com/E12730E6-FEE5-46EC-934B-FE21D446E43D_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Cuban-American Jose Feliu (right) enjoys a Cuban coffee as he prepares to go to work in the Little Havana area of Miami, Dec. 18, 2014.
![A woman waits in a classic American car that's used as a shared taxi by commuters in Havana, Cuba, Dec. 18, 2014.](https://gdb.voanews.com/D76473B3-B8F9-4045-94EF-26244C9E81A7_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A woman waits in a classic American car that's used as a shared taxi by commuters in Havana, Cuba, Dec. 18, 2014.
![A man drives his car holding a poster with pictures of the Cuban Five, celebrating their freedom, in Havana, Cuba, Dec. 17, 2014.](https://gdb.voanews.com/88B88D19-4F11-4E0A-B273-595D4FFDDA61_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A man drives his car holding a poster with pictures of the Cuban Five, celebrating their freedom, in Havana, Cuba, Dec. 17, 2014.