(VOVworld) – South American countries’ leaders hailed the normalization of US-Cuba relations after the US officially re-opened its embassy in Havana on Friday.

Students celebrated in Havana after news that Washington had released three Cuban spies in a prisoner exchange. (Photo: AFP)

Venezuelan Vice President Jorge Arreana affirmed that Venezuela supported the normalization of relations between the US and Cuba. Bolivian President Eco Morales expressed his hope that the US will soon lift its economic sanctions on Cuba. Ecuador’s government also urged the US to quickly lift its embargoes on Cuba and return Guantanamo Gulf to Cuba. Newspapers in Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Peru, and Argentina widely reflect the significance of the event to Cuba and Latin American countries.