Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s president, on Thursday called on Google to reconsider its decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” for US users. She also said that if necessary, Mexico could file a civil suit against the company.
Google had earlier changed the name for Google Maps users in the US to reflect the US government’s decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico.
Sheinbaum has repeatedly expressed her displeasure with the move, arguing that the name “Gulf of Mexico” is widely recognised internationally. In her latest statement, she emphasised that Google had failed to resolve Mexico’s previous complaints.
She urged Google to reconsider the White House executive order, saying that “the only place it was effective was in the area covered by US sovereignty, or up to 22 nautical miles from the coast.”
For Google Maps users in Mexico, the gulf is still referred to as the “Gulf of Mexico.” Outside of those two countries, users see both names on Google Maps.
According to Sheinbaum, if Google retains its rights to the name, Mexico could take legal action. She also added:
“If necessary, we will file a civil lawsuit. Our legal team is already looking into what that would mean, but we are hopeful that (Google) will change its mind.”
In mid-January, Trump signed an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America and North America’s highest mountain, Denali, as McKinley.
