When Claudia Sheinbaum, then-mayor of Mexico City, declared a bold goal. Her administration was the first to file a lawsuit against Google, a subsidiary of the big bad tech firm Alphabet. This lawsuit is a direct result of Google’s recent attempt to erase the name “Gulf of Mexico” from the maps for users in the United States. In return, Sheinbaum has been calling on the U.S. government to abide by a 2014 decree.
At a Tuesday morning news conference, Sheinbaum announced, “The lawsuit has already been filed.” She omitted information on where or when she plans to submit. This new guidance comes three months after the warning she issued to Google in late February, calling on the company to reverse its naming choice. Sheinbaum has been clear that this is not just a semantic issue. It draws important attention to historical context in which the United States stole one-third of Mexico’s land prior to 1848.
Look for this kind of unvarnished self-advocacy. In her campaign pronouncements, Sheinbaum strongly stressed the need for honoring historical truth. She advocated against a bad proposal from congressional leaders in the U.S. This renaming legislation, sponsored by the recently notorious Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, would rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.” Sheinbaum contended that the American government only claims a small section of the continental shelf as its Gulf of America. She’s advocating that this name should rightfully pertain to the entire body of water.
“All we want is for the decree issued by the US government to be complied with,” – Claudia Sheinbaum
The outrage has been stoked even beyond that by Sheinbaum’s reaction to a previous comment by former President Donald Trump. During her remarks, she provocatively suggested changing the name of the United States to “América Mexicana,” or Mexican America. This amendment was meant to be a catalyst for a larger conversation about historic land claims. She used old maps to prove her case, pointing out that several locations have strong historical ties to their former titles.
Sheinbaum’s position underscores a brewing clash between Mexico and the U.S. over national identity and historical resentments. The lawsuit against Google signifies Mexico’s commitment to reclaiming its narrative and ensuring that its heritage is respected in international discourse.