**Mexico Protests Proposed Renaming of the Gulf of Mexico by Google Maps**

Concerns rise over the implications of national authority on global geographic naming conventions.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has penned a letter to Google urging the tech giant to reconsider its decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. This request follows an executive order signed by former U.S. President Donald Trump in his first week in office, which mandated the name change for use within the United States.

Reportedly, this name alteration will only be reflected on Google Maps for users in the U.S., while the Gulf retains its historical name globally. Mexico argues that the U.S. lacks the legal authority to unilaterally rename the Gulf because international law, specifically the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, stipulates that the sovereignty of a country only extends up to 12 nautical miles from its coast.

President Sheinbaum pointedly remarked that the name change "could only correspond to the 12 nautical miles away from the coastlines of the United States," implying that the Gulf's identity cannot be redefined by one country alone.

While Google has yet to comment directly on the matter, the company stated on social media that it follows a practice of reflecting official name updates as dictated by government sources. The company previously adhered to governmental changes, including renaming Mount Denali back to Mount McKinley in the U.S., demonstrating a pattern of compliance with national naming conventions.

In a light-hearted response to the situation, Sheinbaum suggested that if the U.S. could dictate such changes, Mexico might humorously consider asking Google to rename North America as "América Mexicana," emphasizing her stance that to Mexico, and indeed the wider world, the body of water remains the Gulf of Mexico. As the issue unfolds, it underscores the complexities and sensitivities surrounding geographic naming in a global context.