Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed Friday that her administration has filed a lawsuit against Google for displaying the name “Gulf of America” on its maps for U.S. users, escalating a dispute that involves tech giants and lawmakers on both sides of the border.
“The lawsuit has already been filed,” Sheinbaum said without specifying where or when it was submitted. She first warned of such a lawsuit in February.
🚨Sheinbaum exige que Google obedezca sus decretos… desde Silicon Valley
⁰Porque claro, Google —una empresa privada estadounidense— está obligada a acatar los caprichos geográficos de la Cuarta Transformación.La exjefa de Gobierno quiere que el “Golfo de América” solo nombre… pic.twitter.com/VRDxChIVtt
— Gildo Garza (@GildoGarzaMx) May 9, 2025
The legal action follows Google’s decision to update its U.S. maps in line with an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on the first day of his second term, which renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America for federal purposes.
Sheinbaum, speaking at the National Palace during her Friday morning news conference, or mañanera, emphasized that Mexico’s demand is straightforward: Google and other platforms should apply the “Gulf of America” name only to the portion of the gulf that falls within U.S. territorial waters, as specified by Trump’s decree, and not to the entire body of water shared by the United States, Mexico and Cuba.
“That’s what we’re demanding be included in the platform. We’ll see how this resolution from the United States Congress comes out, but they can only name the part of the United States territory,” Sheinbaum said.
She added: “What we’re saying is that Google should put ‘Gulf of America’ where it belongs, that is, in the part that belongs to the United States, and that it should put ‘Gulf of Mexico’ in the territorial part that belongs to Mexico and Cuba. That’s what we’re demanding: that it appear on the platform.”
The controversy intensified Thursday when the Republican-controlled House of Representatives narrowly passed a bill to codify Trump’s executive order, titled “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness,” which required all federal agencies to update documents and maps to reflect the new name.
The measure, introduced by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), now heads to the Senate, where its future remains uncertain.
In the House, the bill passed 211-206, with all Democrats and one Republican (Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska) voting against it.
Greene defended the legislation, saying, “The American people deserve pride in their country and they deserve pride in the waters that we own, that we protect with our military and our Coast Guard.”
We must codify all of President Trump’s executive orders by passing them in Congress.
Today, we are one step closer to making the rightful Gulf of America PERMANENT.
The Senate must pass this bill! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/HON7q3hfrt
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) May 9, 2025
She also accused Democrats of “fighting to keep the Gulf of America named the Gulf of Mexico because the cartels are their business partners.”
“They fight for the cartels so much,” she added.
Meanwhile, Democrats said the bill was a waste of time and resources, and they accused Republicans of ignoring important matters while wasting what House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) called an “entire legislative day” to debate the bill.
The initiative is “silly, small-minded and sycophantic,” Jeffries added.
In addition to Google, Apple has also updated its maps for U.S. users to reflect the new name, further fueling Mexico’s objections.
Sheinbaum said she has sent two letters to Google and warned of legal action if the company did not limit the name change to U.S. waters.
Google has defended its decision, citing its policy of following official government sources and consulting multiple authorities to ensure accurate representation. The company’s change means U.S. users see “Gulf of America” on Google Maps, while Mexican users see “Gulf of Mexico” and users elsewhere see both names.
The name “Gulf of Mexico” has been recognized internationally since the 1550s and remains the official designation by the United Nations and most global authorities.
Sheinbaum, in a pointed retort to Trump’s move, has suggested renaming the United States “Mexican America,” referencing historical maps from before 1848.
With reports from El Financiero, El Economista, NBC News, AFP and Infobae
