The dispute between Claudia Sheinbaum and Google over the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico has taken a new turn. In the morning conference on February 12, the President of Mexico stated that she would consider filing a civil lawsuit if the dispute persists, arguing that the designation of 'Gulf of America' affects the Mexican continental shelf. So far, Sheinbaum has not commented on Apple's decision to adopt the same name in its maps.
On the other hand, the AP news agency has expressed its disagreement with this modification, committing to maintaining the original name of the Gulf of Mexico, in use for 400 years. In response, Google has asserted that it follows impartial policies regarding place designation in its applications, explaining that the change is based on the inclusion of 'Gulf of America' by the U.S. GNIS following a decree by former President Donald Trump.
In a statement directed to Sheinbaum, Google said that U.S. residents will see the new name, while other users will see both designations. Additionally, the company proposed a meeting to discuss the issue with a representative from the Mexican Government. For her part, Sheinbaum has rejected Google's explanation and stated that the modification should only apply to the U.S. continental shelf, not to Mexico or Cuba, according to the mentioned decree.
The President has considered the possibility of a lawsuit if Google does not rectify the change in the application. In this context, the dispute seems far from being resolved, with persisting differences in the interpretation of regulations and international agreements regarding geographic nomenclature.
