MEXICO will take Google to court if the tech giant persists in changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America” for US users on its Maps platform, President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday, as reported by AFP.
The Mexican government has sent a further letter to the US company, arguing that the executive order concerning the name change, issued by the previous US administration, only applies to the portion of the continental shelf belonging to the United States.
“Google has no right to rename Mexico’s continental shelf, nor does it have any right to rename Cuba’s continental shelf, because the Gulf of Mexico is divided among the three countries,” Sheinbaum said at her daily news conference.
The letter clarifies that “under no circumstances does Mexico accept the renaming of any geographic area that includes part of its national territory and that is under its jurisdiction,” she added. “We will wait for Google’s response and, if not, we will proceed in court,” Sheinbaum confirmed.
Sheinbaum first announced on Friday that her government was considering legal action, saying: “If necessary, we will file a civil suit.”
Following the previous US administration’s executive order, Sheinbaum had previously suggested referring to the United States as “Mexican America,” referencing a map from before 1848, when a third of Mexico was annexed by the United States.
Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has indicated that users of its Maps app in Mexico will continue to see the name “Gulf of Mexico,” while users in other countries will see both names.
Sheinbaum shared a letter she received from Google addressed to Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente, outlining their position and proposing a “constructive dialogue,” including a potential meeting.
Google’s letter said the name change was “consistent with our normal operating procedure to reflect on our platforms geographic names prescribed by different authoritative, government sources, including reflecting where authoritative sources may differ.”
Apple has also implemented the “Gulf of America” name for US users of its mapping application in compliance with the previous US administration’s directive
-BTS Media
