MEXICO CITY — President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico has responded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent proposal to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.” She highlighted that Trump is free to call it whatever he wishes on the American side, but for Mexico and the rest of the world, it will remain as the Gulf of Mexico.
During a press briefing, Sheinbaum expressed amusement at Trump’s suggestion, which she encountered while reviewing a series of executive orders related to Mexico. She emphasized the importance of Mexico’s sovereignty and the necessity for open communication. Regarding Trump’s statement about renaming the Gulf, she remarked, “He says that he will call it the Gulf of America on its continental shelf. For us, it is still the Gulf of Mexico, and for the entire world it is still the Gulf of Mexico.”
Trump announced his intention to change the name during his inaugural address and reiterated the plan earlier in the month during a press conference. “A short time from now, we are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America,” he declared. Shortly thereafter, he signed an Executive Order to initiate the change.
At her press conference, Sheinbaum displayed Trump’s Executive Order, titled “Restoring Names that Honor American Greatness,” on a screen. This order specifies that within 30 days, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior will rename the “U.S. Continental Shelf area” that borders several states including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, extending to the maritime boundaries with Mexico and Cuba.
The discussion about naming conventions isn’t limited to the Gulf; it extends to the river called by two different names based on the perspective of the nation. While Americans refer to it as the Rio Grande, Mexicans call it the Rio Bravo, highlighting a cultural divergence in geographical nomenclature.
When Trump first floated the idea of renaming the Gulf, Sheinbaum responded with sarcasm, suggesting an alternative name for North America: “América Mexicana” or “Mexican America.” This time, however, she firmly reiterated, “For us and for the entire world it will continue to be called the Gulf of Mexico.”
