Mexico is ready to wage legal war over the name change from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. On Monday, President Claudia Sheinbaum declared her government’s intention to sue Google for following through with President Donald Trump‘s executive order.
“What Google is doing here is changing the name of the continental shelf of Mexico and Cuba, which has nothing to do with Trump’s decree, which applied only to the US continental shelf,” Sheinbaum said in a press conference.
“We do not agree with this, and the Foreign Minister has sent a new letter addressing the issue.”
Last week, Google moved to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on Google Maps. The tech corporation cited its “longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources” as the reason.
With the new update, U.S. users of Google Maps will see the Gulf of America. The body of water will appear as the Gulf of Mexico to Mexico users, on the other hand. Different countries will see both names.
Unfortunately, President Sheinbaum tagged the renaming as “incorrect.” She argued that Trump’s decree “only changed the name within his own continental shelf” and not the entire body of water.
Gulf of America Lawsuit Sparks Reactions
Sheinbaum threatened legal action weeks ago after Google first announced its plan to make the change. On Monday, she read out a letter response from the tech company, reiterating its decision.
“As we first announced two weeks ago, and consistent with our product policies, we’ve begun rolling out changes in Google Maps. We would like to confirm that people using Maps in Mexico will continue to see ‘Gulf of Mexico.”
The government of Mexico, however, remains dissatisfied. Responding to Google, it urged that renaming “must be strictly limited to the marine area under U.S. jurisdiction.” It continued, “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.”
Google is yet to respond to the Mexican government’s letter. Per CNN, Sheinbaum noted that her government awaits a second response before filing a lawsuit.
President Sheinbaum’s rather strong response has since sparked mixed reactions online. While some fans favor a lawsuit, others think it is performative.
“This move is almost as dumb as renaming the Gulf,” one fan slammed.
“I think it’s wonderfully petty by Mexico. It’s exactly what Trump deserves,” a second fan argued.
“Sure, and what court are they taking Google to? lol. This is a joke,” mocked a third fan.
“I would like to see Mexico sue the pantaloons off of spineless Google,” a fourth comment read.
Recall that President Donald Trump signed the executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico on his first day in office. The name change has since spurred multiple controversies, with no signs of slowing down.
