Mexico has filed a lawsuit against Google for using the label “Gulf of America” on maps—a change made by U.S. President Donald Trump through an executive order.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the legal action during her daily press briefing on Friday.
She did not provide specific details, but said simply that “Google had been sued.”
Mexico’s Foreign Relations Ministry had previously sent letters to Google asking it not to rename Mexican territorial waters as the “Gulf of America.”
As of now, Google has not responded to media requests for comment.
The Gulf in question is bordered by both Mexico and the United States.
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Trump’s executive order applies only within U.S. jurisdiction. Other countries and international bodies are not required to recognize the name change.
Mexico argues that “Gulf of America” should only apply to the portion of the water above the U.S. continental shelf.
In February, Sheinbaum shared a letter from Cris Turner, Google’s Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy.
In it, Turner stated that Google would not change its existing map policies following Trump’s declaration.
He explained that Google is following “longstanding maps policies impartially and consistently across all regions.”
Currently, Google Maps shows the body of water as “Gulf of America” in the U.S., “Gulf of Mexico” in Mexico, and “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)” elsewhere.
The Gulf of Mexico has carried that name for more than 400 years.
The Associated Press continues to use the original name but acknowledges the label introduced by Trump.
In a related matter, the White House barred the AP from being part of the small press pool covering Trump in the Oval Office and aboard Air Force One.
Their access was also limited for events in the East Room.
In response, the AP sued three Trump administration officials, citing freedom of speech.
They asked a federal judge to lift the restrictions and restore their access.
Last month, a judge ruled in favor of the AP.
The court ordered the White House to fully reinstate the news agency’s access, saying “the government cannot punish the news organisation for the content of its speech.”
This emergency ruling remains in effect while the case proceeds.
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