It all started with an executive order signed by Donald Trump in January, upon his return to the White House. In this order, he ordered that the Gulf of Mexico be referred to as the Gulf of America on all official documents from federal agencies. The reason given was: "The United States does most of the work there, it's up to us."
A very political name change
Soon after, Google implemented this change on its Maps platform—but only for users located in the United States. In the rest of the world, Internet users see the combined words "Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)," while in Mexico, only the historical name is visible.
The decision was poorly received in Mexico. As early as January, President Claudia Sheinbaum sent a letter to Google requesting a reversal. The following month, the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised its voice, stating that "entirely renaming the Gulf, even for American users, is beyond the competence of any national authority or private company." The threat of legal action was then raised.
The Mexican president finally confirmed that her country had filed a complaint against Google. The proceedings began at the end of March before a Mexican court. A first decision has even reportedly already been issued, without further details.
For Claudia Sheinbaum, the heart of the dispute rests on one clear point: the United States can rename its own territorial waters, but not the entire Gulf, which also affects Cuba and, above all, Mexico. "It would be like demanding that they rename a US state or a mountain in their country," she quipped.
Google, for its part, is defending what it calls "usual" action: reflecting the choices of official authorities depending on the areas concerned. "Users in Mexico will continue to see the Gulf of Mexico, as always," the company said in a letter signed by Cris Turner, its head of public affairs.
But for many Mexicans, the pill is hard to swallow. On social media, the hashtag #GolfoDeMéxico has multiplied. Some Internet users mock the attempt at geographical rewriting, others are outraged. An initiative deemed both unnecessary, provocative, and typical of the Trump era.
And this may just be the beginning: according to the AP news agency, Donald Trump is now considering renaming the "Persian Gulf" the "Arabian Gulf." A decision that risks rekindling further tensions... this time well beyond the American continent.
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