President of Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum has offered a playful suggestion in response to Donald Trump’s decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the ‘Gulf of America’.

Upon beginning his second term as President of the United States, Donald Trump promptly signed an executive order as part of an initiative to ‘restore names that honor American greatness’. This included a controversial change to the name of the Gulf of Mexico.

Google, responding to the executive order, modified its maps, although users’ visibility of the change depends on their geographical location. People in the vicinity of the Gulf may see its traditional name, while others worldwide could see both names displayed.

President Sheinbaum humorously retorted during a news conference, proposing the United States be called ‘Mexican America’ if the renaming were to be taken seriously. Pointing to early maps from 1607, she quipped, “Why don’t we call it Mexican America? It sounds nice, doesn’t it?” reminding everyone of historic maps that referred to regions in the U.S. as part of Mexican territory.

Sheinbaum took a strong stance on the sovereignty of geographical names recognized by the international community, emphasizing that only up to a 12 nautical mile zone can countries unilaterally alter naming conventions, beyond which internationally established names like the Gulf of Mexico stand firm.

This lighthearted exchange extends to a letter addressed to Google, where Sheinbaum reiterated her jest, urging the tech giant to reflect her playful suggestion in their search results, thereby inciting further conversation.

The exchange between Mexico’s President and Donald Trump brings to light the volatility and humor that can emerge in international discourse, highlighting the value of diplomatic banter amidst global politics.