Returning to her jest about renaming the US ‘Mexican America’, Sheinbaum reportedly urged Google: “We ask that when you put Mexican America in the search engine, the map appears that we presented.”
Yet, her tone turned serious during a press briefing on February 17, where she announced Mexico’s intention to take legal action if Google does not adjust the ‘Gulf of America’ label to only apply to the U.S.-controlled section, which is approximately ’22 nautical miles’, rather than the ‘entire gulf,’ as reported by Business Insider via KGOU.
The Mexican government’s letter to Google states: “Any reference to the ‘Gulf of America’ initiative on your Google Maps platform must be exclusively limited to the marine area under US jurisdiction.
“Any extension beyond that zone exceeds the authority of any national government or private entity. Should that be the case, the Government of Mexico will take the appropriate legal actions as deemed necessary.”
UNILAD has reached out to Google for a statement.
Trump’s directive advocated for renaming the Gulf of Mexico to ‘Gulf of America’, declaring it ‘an integral asset to our once burgeoning Nation and has remained an indelible part of America’ and ‘a crucial artery for America’s early trade and global commerce’.
Highlighting its ‘remarkable body of water’ and its ‘natural resources and wildlife’, Trump emphasized how it ‘will continue to play a pivotal role in shaping America’s future and the global economy,’ and directed that the Gulf be ‘officially renamed’ the Gulf of America.
Google announced its compliance with Trump’s order to rename the Gulf, though the label shown to users varies based on their location; ‘Maps users see their official local name’ while ‘everyone in the rest of the world sees both names’.
