Mexico is considering a lawsuit against Google over the use of the label “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico” on its maps. This situation arose after former President Trump’s executive order on January 20 aimed to change the name of the gulf. According to Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum, the name change only applies to areas under U.S. control and does not extend to the entire Gulf.
In a recent press conference, Sheinbaum stated that if Google does not revert to the original name for the entire Gulf, they will take legal action. She explained that the executive order only pertains to a small segment of water, specifically within 22 nautical miles of the U.S. coastline. She also stressed that any reference to “Gulf of America” should only apply to the U.S. jurisdiction, and not affect Mexico or Cuba.
The Mexican government has been in talks with Google since January regarding this naming issue. Sheinbaum expressed that Mexico will not accept any changes that impact its territory. In a letter to Google, the Mexican government made it clear that any reference to the “Gulf of America” should only relate to the marine area controlled by the U.S.
Sheinbaum mentioned that they are awaiting Google’s response before deciding on the next steps. She previously indicated that a civil suit could be a possibility if the issue isn’t resolved.
After Trump’s announcement of the name change, both Google Maps and Apple Maps reflected this change for users in the U.S. Users outside of the U.S. and Mexico see a dual label, showing both names. Political experts argue that countries do not have the authority to unilaterally rename international bodies of water, making this situation quite complex.
While Google has issued a response saying its name change was based on the U.S. Geographic Names Information System, there remains uncertainty about how this will unfold, especially regarding Apple Maps. As of now, the outcome depends on further discussions between Google and the Mexican government.
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