Mexico’s leader urges Google to rename the U.S. as ‘América Mexicana’

There has been a strong backlash against Google for bowing to what critics call Donald Trump’s “megalomania” by renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.” This controversial change follows an executive order from the US President, which has sparked widespread anger. Google immediately implemented the change on its maps.

Many argue that the move is an unnecessary display of nationalism and undermines historical and geographical accuracy. The decision has not only affected digital maps but also stirred debates about the influence of political agendas on global platforms.

Among those who have spoken out is Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has also suggested that the United States should be referred to as “América Mexicana.”

What did Google Maps say about Trump’s executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico?

On Monday, Google issued a statement explaining that it is only following the official line from recent legislation: “We have received some questions about names on Google Maps. We have a long-standing practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources,” the company posted on its X news account.

Sheinbaum responded with a letter to Google, the contents of which she revealed in a press briefing on Thursday. She asked reporters, “In the case of Mexico, where are we completely sovereign? It is within the 12 nautical miles from our coastline, and this is the same for all countries worldwide. If a country wants to change the designation of something in the sea, it would only apply up to 12 nautical miles”.

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum says her gov’t will lodge a complaint with Google after it changed “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America” for US users of its map service, adding Mexico will request to rename North America as Mexican America. pic.twitter.com/MOPx3TFEPH

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) January 29, 2025

Sheinbaum emphasized that the name change cannot be applied to the rest of the Gulf of Mexico. “This is what we explained in detail to Google” she argued before adding, “In the end, we requested that when ‘Mexican America’ is searched, the map we presented should appear,” showing reporters a 1607 map that labeled parts of North America as “Mexican America”.

Google Maps stressed that the renaming will only be visible to users in the United States. In Mexico it will continue to be read as the Gulf of Mexico while viewers in the rest of world will see both names.