MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico mentioned Monday it’s awaiting a brand new response from Google to its request that the tech firm absolutely restore the identify Gulf of Mexico to its Google Maps service earlier than filing a lawsuit.
President Claudia Sheinbaum shared a letter addressed to her authorities from Cris Turner, Google’s vice chairman of presidency affairs and public coverage. It says that Google is not going to change the coverage it outlined after U.S. President Donald Trump declared the physique of water the Gulf of America.
“We are going to watch for Google’s response and if not, we’ll proceed to court docket,” Sheinbaum mentioned Monday throughout a morning press briefing.
Because it stands, the gulf seems in Google Maps as Gulf of America inside the US, as Gulf of Mexico inside Mexico and Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America) elsewhere. Turner in his letter mentioned the corporate was utilizing Gulf of America to observe “longstanding maps insurance policies impartially and constantly throughout all areas” and that the corporate was keen to satisfy in individual with the Mexican authorities.
“Whereas worldwide treaties and conventions aren’t supposed to manage how non-public mapping suppliers signify geographic options, it’s our constant coverage to seek the advice of a number of authoritative sources to offer the hottest and correct illustration of the world,” he wrote.
Mexico has argued that the mapping coverage violates Mexican sovereignty as a result of the U.S. solely has jurisdiction over round 46% of the Gulf. The remaining is managed by Mexico, which controls 49% and Cuba, which controls round 5%. The identify Gulf of Mexico dates again to 1607 and is acknowledged by the United Nations.
In response to Google’s letter, Mexican authorities mentioned they might take authorized motion, writing that “beneath no circumstance will Mexico settle for the renaming of a geographic zone inside its personal territory and beneath its jurisdiction.”
The renaming of the physique of water by Trump has flared tensions between Mexico and the U.S. at a pivotal time for the neighboring allies.
Sheinbaum has needed to stroll a nice line with Trump amid threats of tariffs and Mexico and different Latin American international locations have braced themselves for promised mass deportations, the brunt of which has nonetheless not been felt.
Together with the authorized risk to Google, the Mexican president additionally introduced Monday that Mexico and the U.S. would maintain high-level conferences this week on commerce and safety in an effort to keep up a “long-term plan of collaboration” between the 2 international locations.
It’s the newest spherical of talks between the 2 international locations during which Mexico hopes to carry off a bigger geopolitical disaster.
The renaming of the water physique has fueled strife throughout the U.S. as nicely.
Final week, the White Home barred Associated Press reporters from several events, together with some within the Oval Workplace, saying it was due to the information company’s coverage on the identify. The AP is utilizing Gulf of Mexico to make sure that names of geographical options are recognizable world wide but additionally acknowledging Trump’s renaming of it as nicely.
Different journalistic organizations such because the White Home Correspondents’ Group and the New York Instances have echoed the AP in elevating alarm about press freedom violations.
