Mexico Threatens Lawsuit Over Gulf Name Change

If you are located in Belize, open your Google Maps, zoom out, and scroll up a tiny bit. What do you see? You’ll notice that the Gulf of Mexico appears to have an additional name—Gulf of America.

This title change is just one more of President Donald J. Trump’s executive orders taking effect. Since before his inauguration, Trump made his intentions clear regarding the change of name, stating that this would be one of the first things on his to-do list.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had criticised the proposal and instead suggested that North America be renamed to “Mexican America,” as she cited historical documents that used the term before Mexico’s constitution.

Well, the name has changed, and it’s been changed for some days now. U.S. citizens are able to see “Gulf of America,” while the rest of the world sees “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America).” With billions of people relying on Google Maps’ as their ideal mapping platform, it plays a fundamental role in shaping perceptions of geography.

During a morning press briefing, Sheinbaum revealed that she had sent a diplomatic letter to Google and urged the tech giant to reconsider the change. She added that Mexico’s concerns were dismissed.

Mexico is now considering a civil lawsuit if the name persists on Google’s platforms. Sheinbaum argues that the name change is unjustified, citing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which restricts territorial changes to a nation’s waters up to 12 nautical miles from its coastline.

Sheinbaum stated that the Gulf of Mexico spans beyond U.S. territory and includes Mexican and Cuban waters.