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Obama, Castro Watch Tampa Bay Rays Play Cuban National Baseball Team In Havana

HAVANA (CBSLA.com/AP) — President Barack Obama on Tuesday urged Cubans to look to the future with hope, casting his historic visit to the communist nation as a moment to "bury the last remnants of the Cold War in the Americas."

To drive home the point, he attended an exhibition baseball game between the MLB's Tampa Bay Rays and Cuba's national team. The Orioles were the last MLB club to play in Cuba, in 1999.

The visit and game comes in the wake of the normalization of U.S. and Cuban relations 15 months ago.

Seated next to Obama at the game was Cuban President Raul Castro. The two were seen smiling during the game, and Obama even participated in "the wave," CBS Sports reported.

Earlier in the day, Obama gave an address at Havana's Grand Theater and met with Cuban dissidents.

"Havana is only 90 miles from Florida, but to get here we had to travel a great distance," Obama said during the address.

Despite the enthusiasm in both the U.S. and Cuba about the new relationship between the former foes, Obama acknowledged the deep differences that persist, including on human rights and democracy. With Cuban President Raul Castro looking on from a balcony, he called for citizens to be able to "speak their minds without fear" and pick their leaders in free and fair elections.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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