After the September 11 terrorist attacks, American foreign policy shifted from Latin America to the Middle East. This new focus meant that crucial issues in Latin America were ignored, such as the Cuban embargo. U.S. economic sanctions against Cuba have led to a decline in the quality of life. Cubans do not have access to basic goods and services. Additionally, the embargo diminished the United States' ability to exert influence in the region. China has filled the power vacuum left by the United States. Latin America offers China a new and relatively untapped market. China needs Latin American resources, such as oil, to maintain its growth. The United States should end the economic embargo against Cuba in order to regain its hemispheric influence in Latin America. The abrupt shift from democratization during the Cold War to isolation after 9/11 resulted in the lowest point ever in U.S.-Latin America relations. Between 1989 and 1995, the United States reached a high point in its relations; the Brady debt relief proposal brought relief to Latin American countries; the North American Free Trade Agreement was signed; the United States was the undisputed hemispheric power (Hakim 39). Relations began to deteriorate in 1996 when Congress added new restrictions to the embargo in the Helms-Burton Act. Later, President Clinton extended the embargo to prevent foreign subsidiaries of American companies from trading with Cuba (Siegelbaum). After September 11, American attention shifted away from Latin America. This moment was inevitable after the culmination of Washington's leadership failures; Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were unwilling to stand up to powerful national constituencies (Hakim 39-40). As the United States began waging its war on terrorism...... middle of paper......pera Mundi. Opera Mundi, May 29, 2013. web. December 11, 2013. < http://operamundi.uol.com.br/conteudo/opiniao/29149/ong+britanica+e+vitima+das+sancoes+nomicas+dos+estados+unidos+contra+cuba.shtml>. NBC World News. "Agreements on Cuba issue deal a blow to American stature at the 'Summit of the Americas'." NBC, April 15, 2012. Web. December 11, 2013. Perez, David. “The Way Forward: A Policy Recommendation for the U.S. Department of State.” » Harvard Latino Law Review 13 (2010): 187. Web. December 9, 2013. Roosevelt, Theodore. “Theodore Roosevelt’s Annual Message to Congress for 1904”; House Records HR 58A-K2; Archives of the United States House of Representatives; Record Group 233; Legislative Archives Center; National Archives Siegelbaum, Portia. “Cuba: the American embargo causes losses of 1,000 billion dollars. » CBS News, September 14, 2011. Web. December 9, 2013. < http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cuba-us-embargo-causes-1-trillion-in-losses/>.