Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum threatened Feb. 17 to take Google to court if its map feature continues to show US-based users the label "Gulf of America" instead of "Gulf of Mexico." President Donald Trump's first day in office concluded with an executive order renaming the "Gulf of Mexico" as the "Gulf of America." Trump decreed on Jan. 20 that the name change is being made "in recognition of this flourishing economic resource and its critical importance to our Nation's economy and its people."

Within 30 days of the date of the order, the US Secretary of Interior is to take all appropriate actions to rename the gulf, defined as the area "bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the States of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida and extending to the seaward boundary with Mexico and Cuba."

The decision, which immediately raised tensions between the US an Mexico, prompted Sheinbaum to write her letter to Google, arguing that the US did not have the right to rename the whole Gulf unilaterally.

Sheinbaum stated that Trump's executive order to rename the Gulf must cover only the portion of the body of water under US jurisdiction. Sheinbaum told reporters: "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 noted that Mexico would wait for Google's response before proceeding with legal actions.

From JURIST, Jan. 19. Use with permission.