Donald Trump decided in January that the waters south of the USA should be called the American Gulf, and soon after, Google followed the president's order and changed the name in its map service for all users in the USA.
We have a conflict with Google right now. And if necessary, we will take civil action, says Mexico's president Claudia Sheinbaum at a press conference according to the news agency AFP.
She claims that Trump's presidential decree only applies to the part of the gulf that lies within the USA's territory, and that the rest of the gulf is still called the Mexican Gulf, even in the USA.
Our message to Google is: Check the decree signed by President Trump.
Stubborn
The Mexican government has already sent a written protest to the American tech giant.
If they continue to be stubborn, we will also be stubborn, says Sheinbaum.
Referring to Trump, she says, more jokingly, that Mexico can start calling the USA "Mexican America" with reference to how the map was drawn before the USA's war against Mexico in 1848.
While American users get to see the name American Gulf, users in Mexico still see the Mexican Gulf, while the rest of the world can see both names.
Trump has the right to change the name of the Mexican Gulf, but only in the USA, no other country needs to follow his order. That's what the White House thinks.
It's a fact that this water is called the American Gulf. It's very important, not just for us but for the whole world, said the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday.
From Gulf to River?
The statement came after criticism that the White House had denied AP reporters access – because they hadn't changed the name in international texts.
The move sparked strong criticism from a long list of media outlets, but Leavitt continued to defend the decision:
We reserve the right to decide who gets to come into the Oval Office.
AP is not alone in its decision. Among others, The New York Times and The Washington Post continue to use the name Mexican Gulf, while Fox News has changed the name.
The name dispute will likely continue, also around Rio Grande, the river that runs along a large part of the border between the USA and Mexico. For Rio Grande? That's the American name. In Mexico, the river is called Río Bravo.
