Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has formally asked Google to reconsider its renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America, a directive stemming from former President Trump's executive order. This change will only affect views in the U.S., while the gulf retains its historical name internationally. The legality of this alteration is disputed by Mexico, which cites international law limitations on naming rights and asserts that such changes should not respond to a country's demands. Sheinbaum's comments include humorous suggestions for further renaming, reflecting the ongoing debate over geographical nomenclature.
Sheinbaum has criticized Google's decision, saying the firm should not respond to "the mandate of a country" to change the name of "an international sea".
Mexico argues the U.S. cannot legally change the Gulf's name because the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea dictates that an individual country's sovereign territory only extends up to 12 nautical miles out from the coastline.
"[The name change] could only correspond to the 12 nautical miles away from the coastlines of the United States of America," Sheinbaum said.
Sheinbaum jokingly suggested that Mexico may demand Google make some additional renaming decisions, like having "Mexican America" appear on the map.
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