Claudia Sheinbaum, the Mexican president, urged Google to reconsider renaming the Gulf of Mexico, questioning the legality of Trump’s executive order. After the Gulf of Mexico renaming controversy, Sheinbaum formally requested that Google reverse its decision to display the name “Gulf of America” for U.S. users on Google Maps.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order mandating the change, sparking international Gulf of Mexico renaming controversy. The Gulf, which borders the U.S., Mexico, and Cuba, has carried its name for centuries.
However, Trump’s order applied only to the U.S. version of Google Maps, leaving the original name intact everywhere. Mexico argues that the U.S. lacks the legal authority to rename an International body of water under maritime law.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea limits a nation’s sovereignty to 12 nautical miles from its coastline. Sheinbaum emphasized this point, dismissing the order’s broader implications.
Google defended the update on social media: “We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources.” The company also confirmed plans to rename Mount Denali Mount Mckinley for U.S. users, aligning with another Trump directive.
“When official names vary between countries, Maps users see their official local name,” stated Google. Reinforcing its policy. Sheinbaum strongly criticized Google’s compliance with Trump’s renaming order, arguing that an international company should not follow unilateral national mandates.
She mocked the decision by suggesting that Mexico should demand changes. “We are also going to ask for Mexican American to appear on the map,” she said. She previously floated the idea of renaming North America as “América Mexicana” within Mexico. Despite Trump’s directive, Sheinbaum insists the Gulf will remain the Gulf of Mexico for Mexico and the rest of the world.
