Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has issued a stern warning to Google, stating that her government will take legal action if maps displayed to U.S.-based users continue to label the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America across the entire body of water.
Sheinbaum argues that the renaming misrepresents international maritime boundaries and exceeds the scope of an executive order issued by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Sheinbaum emphasized that Trump’s decree—intended to rename portions of the Gulf of Mexico under U.S. jurisdiction—does not apply to waters belonging to Mexico and Cuba.
“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 U.S. continental shelf,” Sheinbaum told reporters.
“We do not agree with this, and the Foreign Minister has sent a new letter addressing the issue.”
Dispute Over Geographic Naming
In 2024, President Trump signed an executive order directing U.S. government agencies to use the term “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico” when referring to waters within the United States’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which extends 200 nautical miles from the U.S. coastline.
However, Sheinbaum noted that the U.S. continental shelf—where the U.S. holds sovereign rights for resource exploration—only extends 22 nautical miles from shore.
Despite the limited jurisdiction of Trump’s directive, Sheinbaum claims that Google’s mapping services have broadly applied the “Gulf of America” designation to the entire Gulf, including waters under Mexican and Cuban sovereignty.
“This renaming is incorrect,” Sheinbaum stated. “Trump’s decree only changed the name within his own continental shelf, which extends 22 nautical miles from the U.S. coast—not the entire Gulf.”
Mexico’s Response and Potential Legal Action
The Mexican government has formally protested the labeling, with Foreign Minister Alicia Bárcena submitting an official complaint to Google.
According to Sheinbaum, Mexico expects a prompt correction, failing which the country will consider legal avenues to address the issue.
The dispute underscores broader geopolitical tensions over maritime naming rights, national sovereignty, and the influence of U.S. policies beyond its borders.
Mexico’s stance has also gained support from Cuban officials, who similarly reject the “Gulf of America” label for waters off their coast.
While Google has yet to publicly respond to Mexico’s latest complaint, the company may face increased scrutiny over the accuracy and neutrality of its cartographic representations in politically sensitive regions.
As the controversy unfolds, experts say the outcome could set a precedent for how global tech giants handle territorial naming disputes, particularly when pressured by national governments to adopt unilateral changes.
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