Mexico has warned Google that it will take legal action if the tech giant goes ahead with its plan to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America” for Maps users in the United States. This announcement came from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday. Sheinbaum emphasized that the Gulf of Mexico name change violates Mexico’s territorial integrity, as it affects a region within Mexico’s jurisdiction.
In a direct message to Google, Sheinbaum said, “Mexico will not accept the renaming of any geographic area that includes part of its national territory.” The government’s letter pointed out that the U.S. executive order issued by President Donald Trump only applied to the portion of the Gulf of Mexico located in U.S. waters.
“We will wait for Google’s response,” Sheinbaum added. “If they don’t respond accordingly, we will proceed in court.” She stressed the importance of respecting national sovereignty and vowed that Mexico would take legal steps if Google persists in implementing the name change.
Legal Action Likely Over Gulf of Mexico Renaming
The Mexican government had already hinted at the possibility of a lawsuit against Google after President Trump’s controversial executive order regarding the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico. Sheinbaum said on Friday that the government was seriously considering filing a civil suit against the tech company. She made it clear that this issue is not just about a name change but about protecting Mexico’s sovereignty over its geographical and territorial areas.
The Gulf of Mexico has long been recognized as a shared body of water between the United States and Mexico, but the name change has sparked tension. Trump’s executive order was signed shortly after he took office on January 20, aiming to rename the Gulf of Mexico for U.S. users of Google Maps. Sheinbaum reacted humorously, suggesting that the United States should be renamed “Mexican America,” referencing a map from before 1848 when a significant portion of Mexico’s territory was seized by the U.S.
Google’s Response and the U.S. Tech Giant’s Compromise
Google, which is part of the larger Alphabet company, has said that it will continue using the “Gulf of Mexico” name in its Maps application for users in Mexico. However, for U.S. users, Google planned to display both names the original and the new “Gulf of America” to satisfy the directive from President Trump’s executive order.
Similarly, Apple has followed suit, renaming the Gulf of Mexico for its U.S. users to comply with the executive order. Despite this, the Mexican government’s resistance remains firm, and the situation may escalate into a full-fledged legal battle between the two nations and the tech companies.
If the dispute remains unresolved, legal action will likely follow, as Mexico has made clear its intention to protect its territory’s identity.
