Mexico’s President Challenges Google Over “Gulf of America” Renaming
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has sent a formal letter to Google, protesting the tech company’s decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” on its US version of Google Maps, CNN reports.
The change is in response to a recent executive order issued by US President Donald Trump.
Sheinbaum addressed reporters on Thursday, emphasizing Mexico’s sovereignty over its coastal waters.
“Where are we completely sovereign? In the area established as 12 nautical miles from the coastline, and this applies to all countries worldwide,” she said.
She explained that any country’s naming changes to a body of water can only apply within those 12 nautical miles, and cannot extend to the entire gulf.
The dispute arose after Google announced on Monday that US users of Google Maps would see the name of the Gulf of Mexico changed to “Gulf of America.” Google justified the move by stating its policy of reflecting name changes that are officially updated by government sources.
Mexican users of Google Maps will continue to see the name “Gulf of Mexico,” while the rest of the world will see both names reflected.
Sheinbaum has been vocal in her opposition to Trump’s action. Referencing her previous counterproposal, in which she suggested renaming the United States, Sheinbaum stated, “In the end, we requested that when someone searches for ‘América Mexicana’ in the search engine, the map we previously presented should appear.” She had previously presented a 1607 map that labeled parts of North America as “Mexican America.”
The Trump administration’s executive order, signed shortly after he took office last week, also mandated that Mount McKinley, the highest peak in the US, be renamed back from Denali, its name since former President Barack Obama renamed the landmark in 2015. The renaming order was implemented, according to Trump’s administration, to “honor American greatness.” The order says it is “in the national interest to promote the extraordinary heritage of our Nation and ensure future generations of American citizens celebrate the legacy of our American heroes.”
