Montevideo, Uruguay ? A doctor took office as Uruguay’s first socialist president Tuesday, joining the ranks of left-leaning leaders in Latin America — now six in all — governing a majority of the region’s people with a cautious approach to U.S.-backed free-market policies.

In one of his first official acts, Tabare Vazquez restored full diplomatic ties with communist Cuba, more than two years after a diplomatic row divided the countries.

Thousands of Uruguayans — many waving flags and chanting “Ur-u-guay!” — filled Montevideo’s streets for the inauguration of Vazquez, a 65-year-old cancer specialist whose swearing-in ended more than 170 years of power by two moderate parties.

Vazquez, elected Oct. 31 to replace Jorge Batlle, is part of a reinvigorated — but far less ideological — leftist movement in Latin America whose leaders have come to power amid economic turmoil. He took the oath of office for his five-year term with many of South America’s new generation of leftists leaders looking on.

“I have not come alone,” Vazquez said at the packed ceremony at Congress. “I take office as president of the republic with the support of hundreds of thousands of compatriots who expressed their democratic wishes last Oct. 31 for a better country for all Uruguayans.”