After Google decided to follow US President Donald Trump’s directive to rename the Gulf of Mexico, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum sent a letter to the tech company challenging the change, arguing that the US does not have the authority to alter the name of the gulf. Sheinbaum’s letter, shared with reporters, pointed out that under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, US sovereignty extends only up to 12 nautical miles from its coastline.
Sheinbaum said that Mexico’s full sovereignty extends up to 12 nautical miles from its coastline, a standard recognized internationally. She emphasised that any changes to names or designations in the sea would only be valid within that 12-nautical-mile limit and would not affect areas beyond it, such as the Gulf of Mexico. She said this was the point she made clear to Google.
The controversy follows Google’s announcement that it would rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on Google Maps for US users. Google stated that the change was made to align with “official government sources,” and users in Mexico would continue seeing the original name on the map, while the rest of the world would display both names.
The decision came after Trump issued an executive order directing that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the Gulf of America, citing its economic significance to the U.S. The executive order also called for all federal maps and documents to reflect the new name. Additionally, Trump has mandated that the US highest peak, Denali, be restored to its former name, Mount McKinley. Google has indicated that it will update the name on its maps once the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), a government database, is revised.
(With ANI Inputs)