Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum warned Monday that her government will pursue legal action against Google if the company continues displaying “Gulf of America” across the entire body of water traditionally known as the Gulf of Mexico on US-facing maps.
The dispute centers on Google’s implementation of a recent Trump administration decree. While Google has renamed the gulf for US-based users, Sheinbaum argues this change should only apply to waters within US jurisdiction, approximately 22 nautical miles from the American coastline.
“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 told reporters. “We do not agree with this.”
Last week, Google updated its maps platform to show “Gulf of America” for US users, citing its policy of reflecting official government name changes. The company maintains different displays based on location: Mexican users continue to see “Gulf of Mexico,” while users in other countries see both names.
Mexico’s government has already engaged in correspondence with Google over the issue. After receiving an initial response from the tech company confirming their implementation plans, Mexico’s Foreign Ministry has dispatched a new letter demanding that “any reference to the ‘Gulf of America’ initiative on your Google Maps platform must be strictly limited to the marine area under U.S. jurisdiction.”
The letter warns that “any extension beyond that zone exceeds the authority of any national government or private entity” and threatens “appropriate legal actions” if necessary.
Sheinbaum indicated that Mexico will await Google’s response before proceeding with any legal measures.