Key Takeaways:

• Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum argues against Google's decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico as Gulf of America.
• This name change follows an executive order by U.S. President Trump, but will only affect users in the U.S. on Google Maps.
• Sheinbaum emphasizes that the U.S. cannot unilaterally change names of shared international waters.
• Mexico asserts that its territorial rights limit such changes to 12 nautical miles off its coast.

In a notable diplomatic clash, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has formally contested Google’s decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” following an executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump. During a press conference, Sheinbaum presented a letter to Google, stating, “The U.S. cannot unilaterally change the name of a body of water that it shares with Cuba and Mexico.”

Google announced that users in the U.S. will see this new name on their maps, but in Mexico, the traditional name will remain. Globally, both titles will be displayed. Sheinbaum has criticized this action, suggesting it disregards the sovereignty of other nations, particularly due to the rules of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which limits a country’s jurisdiction over waterbodies to 12 nautical miles from the coastline. “The name change could only correspond to the 12 nautical miles away from the coastlines of the United States of America,” she noted.

The backdrop of this controversy has included light-hearted remarks from Sheinbaum about renaming North America as “Mexican America,” referencing a historic map from 1607, which highlights the region and its ties to Mexico.

Critics of the change reiterate that it could set a precedent for political manipulation of geographical names, influencing both national sentiment and international relations. Sheinbaum's letter requests Google to feature a map identified as "Mexican America" in its search engine results, further emphasizing her call for respect towards geographical heritage.

For further details, refer to the articles from CNN, SCMP, and Reuters.