Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that her government is awaiting a second reply from Google to the petition for restoring the name “Gulf of Mexico” on Google Maps before pursuing legal action.
Now, the Gulf is labeled as the “Gulf of America” from the perspective of the United States, and Mexican users have it labeled as the “Gulf of Mexico.” In the global perspective, both names are displayed together: “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America).”
At a press conference recently, Sheinbaum said, “We will wait for Google’s response, and in the event of no response, we will go to court.” She held up a letter from Google that said its naming policy would not be changed. Mexican authorities also said, “Under no circumstance will Mexico agree to the renaming of a geographic location on its own territory.”
Mexico argues that Google’s mapping policy is an infringement on its sovereignty because the U.S. only controls about 46 percent of the Gulf. Mexico, however, is in control of 49 percent, while Cuba owns about 5 percent.
This controversy over naming gained momentum after the then-U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order renaming the Gulf as part of a bid to “honor American greatness.” Trump declared Feb. 9 as “Gulf of America Day.” Sheinbaum lightly suggested renaming North America “Mexican America,” invoking the name of a foundational document.
In a letter to Mexican officials, Google’s Cris Turner stated that the use of “Gulf of America” aligns with the company’s longstanding mapping policies. He welcomed the Mexican government to sit down and discuss the issue further.
The name change has also led to strife within the U.S., with the White House recently banning Associated Press reporters from events because they continued to use “Gulf of Mexico.”
