Mexico threatens to sue Google over its renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America” for U.S. users. President Sheinbaum insists the name change violates Mexican territorial rights.
President Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Monday that Mexico will sue Google if it proceeds with renaming the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America” on its Maps app for users in the United States.
Sheinbaum explained that Mexico’s government had sent a letter to Google, emphasizing that the name change would not be accepted as it involves a geographical area under Mexican jurisdiction. The letter referred to the executive order signed by former President Donald Trump, which only applied to the U.S. portion of the Gulf’s continental shelf, not Mexico’s territory.
“We will wait for Google’s response, and if necessary, we will proceed with legal action,” Sheinbaum stated during her daily news briefing. She had previously hinted at a civil lawsuit if Google insisted on the name change.
Trump’s executive order, signed shortly after his inauguration in January 2021, called for renaming the Gulf of Mexico. In a lighthearted response, Sheinbaum suggested renaming the United States as “Mexican America,” referencing a historical map from before 1848 when a large portion of Mexico’s territory was taken by the U.S.
While Google has reassured that users in Mexico would continue to see “Gulf of Mexico” on their Maps app, those in third-party countries would see both names. Meanwhile, Apple has also altered the Gulf’s name for U.S. users to align with Trump’s directive.
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