Mexico has filed a lawsuit against Google for renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" for users in the United States, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Friday.
"The lawsuit has already been filed," Sheinbaum said during her morning news conference, though she did not specify the jurisdiction or date of filing. Google has not publicly responded to the legal action.
The name change follows an executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump in January, which mandated federal agencies to refer to the body of water as the "Gulf of America." Trump argued the change was justified because the U.S. "does most of the work there, and it's ours."
However, Mexico contends that the order applies only to the U.S. portion of the continental shelf, not the entire gulf, which is bordered by the U.S., Mexico, and Cuba.
"All we want is for the decree issued by the U.S. government to be complied with," Sheinbaum said. "The U.S. government only calls the portion of the U.S. continental shelf the Gulf of America, not the entire gulf, because it wouldn’t have the authority to name the entire gulf."
Mexico’s foreign ministry had previously urged Google to revert the change, arguing that Mexican territorial waters should not be relabeled. In February, Sheinbaum shared a letter from Google Vice President Cris Turner, who defended the decision, stating the company follows "longstanding maps policies impartially and consistently across all regions."
Currently, Google Maps displays "Gulf of America" for U.S. users, "Gulf of Mexico" for Mexican users and "Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)" elsewhere.
The dispute has extended beyond diplomatic channels. The Associated Press (AP) refused to adopt the "Gulf of America" name, leading the Trump administration to restrict its access to White House events. In April, a federal judge ordered the administration to restore the AP’s press credentials, citing First Amendment protections.
Meanwhile, House Republicans passed a bill on Thursday to formalize the name change for federal agencies. Sponsored by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), the measure passed largely along party lines but faces slim chances in the Democratic-controlled Senate. Even if enacted, other nations are not obligated to recognize the new name.
Sheinbaum has dismissed the move as politically motivated, even jokingly suggesting the U.S. be renamed "América Mexicana" in reference to pre-1848 borders, when Mexico lost a third of its territory to the U.S.
The two countries remain in talks to ease tensions over trade and other disputes stemming from Trump’s policies.