ACTION ALERT:
Tell Google to Keep the Name “Gulf of Mexico”
CODEPINK

(March 4, 2025) — Google has responded to our petition through Cris Turner, Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy, confirming that they are enforcing the US government’s renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” for US users.

They claim neutrality. They claim to be an independent platform. But their response makes one thing clear: Google is selectively enforcing a US propaganda effort while pretending to be impartial.

On March 11, we are taking this fight directly to Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, California. Sign the Petition Now, and we will deliver it to Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, demanding that they keep the name “Gulf of Mexico.” 

According to Google, users in Mexico will still see “Gulf of Mexico.” However, users in the US will now be forced to see only “Gulf of America,” with no option to view the historically recognized name. Meanwhile, the rest of the world will see both names, as if “Gulf of America” were a legitimate alternative rather than a politically motivated rebranding.

In their response to us, Google conveniently ignored a fundamental fact: the US government only renamed its territorial waters, 12 nautical miles off its coast. That does not justify renaming the entire 620,000-square-mile Gulf for US users.

They also say that international treaties do not regulate private mapping providers. But this isn’t about treaties; this is about historical truth.

For over five centuries, the Gulf of Mexico has been recognized by its rightful name, long before the existence of the United States as a political entity. No major international organization, including the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN) and the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), recognizes “Gulf of America” as a legitimate name. Google’s decision to follow an arbitrary US renaming effort is historically baseless and ignores centuries of established geographic conventions.

Google’s justification means that any government can rewrite history – and Google will follow along. What happens when another government decides to rename entire regions? Will Google comply then, too?

Meanwhile, the White House is taking this even further, punishing journalists who refuse to comply. When asked why the Associated Press was barred from White House events for continuing to use “Gulf of Mexico,” the Press Secretary bluntly dismissed the issue, saying, “It is a fact that the body of water off the coast of Louisiana is called the Gulf of America.” This is the US government deciding what is “fact” and demanding that the press, Google, and the public fall in line.

Tell Google’s CEO: Maintain the historical name, Gulf of Mexico! Sign the petition now! We only have a few days until we deliver it on March 11!

This renaming directly ties into resource control and territorial influence. The Gulf of Mexico holds vast reserves of oil, gas, and biodiversity, making it one of the most resource-rich bodies of water in the world. US corporations already dominate much of the extraction in the region, and rebranding it as “Gulf of America” falls in line with a historical pattern of expanding US territorial claims while disregarding Latin American sovereignty.

By enforcing this change, Google is reinforcing US dominance over the Gulf’s resources, masking a geopolitical power grab behind what appears to be a routine map update.

The Mexican government has already warned that it will take legal action if Google continues to extend the name change beyond US territorial waters. By enforcing this renaming beyond the 12-nautical-mile limit of US jurisdiction, Google is actively participating in an overreach that goes against international law and diplomatic agreements.

We need as many signatures as possible by March 11. Sign and share to demand that Google maintains the name “Gulf of Mexico”!

ACTION: Tell Google’s CEO: Stop the Excuses: Restore the Gulf of Mexico!

This isn’t Google’s first time capitulating to the right wing. This is the same company that quietly removed Black History Month, Pride Month, and Women’s History Month from Google Calendar as default events, making them less visible in daily life. It’s the same company that ensures Israeli settlements are labeled while Palestine remains unmarked as a country on its maps.

It is also the same company that manipulates search algorithms to elevate corporate and government narratives while suppressing dissenting voices. Google is actively shaping what people see, what they learn, and ultimately, what they believe to be true.

We demand that Google immediately restore “Gulf of Mexico” in international waters and stop enforcing US colonial narratives. If they insist on keeping “Gulf of America” within US territorial waters, that is a domestic policy decision, but beyond those 12 nautical miles, the historical truth must remain. We will not allow Silicon Valley to erase Latin America’s identity. The Gulf of Mexico existed long before the White House, and it’s not Trump’s to rebrand.

For too long, the US has failed to be a good neighbor fueling displacement through military interventions, economic warfare, and sanctions that harm everyday people in Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. Instead of offering refuge, the US criminalizes and deports those fleeing these conditions. We refuse to let our neighbors be terrorized! Check out our ICE Resistance Toolkit for resources to resist raids, protect immigrant neighbors, and take action against deportation policies

A true Good Neighbor Policy means respecting sovereignty, ending military intervention, and choosing cooperation over domination. The US has a long history of controlling and exploiting Latin America, it’s time to change course. Join us in demanding a real Good Neighbor Policy rooted in justice and peace

ACTION UPDATE:
Let’s Build a Real Good Neighbor Policy!

Thank you for taking a stand! By signing this petition, you’re helping to push back against Trump’s latest attempt to erase history and assert U.S. domination over the Gulf of Mexico.

Next Step:
Take Action on Google Maps & Social Media
Google is blocking users from posting comments about the name change, but you can still add photos. Here’s how to make your voice heard:

1. Go to Google Maps and search for the Gulf of Mexico.
2. Upload a photo of yourself holding a sign that says “Gulf of Mexico.”
3. Post your photo on X, tag @Google and @codepink and use the hashtag #GulfOfMexico.
4. Sample Tweet:
   Hey, @Google! Shame on you for enforcing U.S. propaganda and trying to erase history. The Gulf of Mexico is not yours or Trump’s to rename.

Let’s flood Google with the truth and show them we won’t let them erase history. Here’s the full petition:

Tell Google’s CEO:
Stop the Excuses, Restore the Gulf of Mexico! 

To Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google
We are writing to express our opposition to Google changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico on Google Maps to the “Gulf of America” to reflect President Donald Trump’s executive order.

The Gulf of Mexico is more than just a body of water; it is a shared resource of immense ecological, economic, and cultural significance for Mexico, the United States, and the world. It plays a critical role in regional trade, fisheries, and energy production, hosting some of the most important offshore oil reserves in North America. Such a designation carries real-world implications, reinforcing territorial claims over waters and resources that are internationally recognized as shared.

The name “Gulf of Mexico” dates back to the year 1550, and by the next century, it had become the most recognized name for that body of water. Its name is recognized by international bodies like the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN), organizations created to ensure that geographic names remain neutral and based on historical fact.

The Mexican government has already formally rejected the renaming, emphasizing that no single country has the right to unilaterally change the name of an international body of water and that under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a country’s sovereign territory only extends up to 12 nautical miles from the coastline.

Google’s justification that it is merely following the U.S. government’s decision ignores the reality that the Gulf is a 620,000-square-mile body of water shared by multiple countries. Even if Google only applies this change in the U.S., it normalizes the idea that facts can be rewritten to serve a political agenda.

Google’s role as a globally trusted source of geographic information should not be compromised by decisions based on political pressure rather than truth and international recognition.

At a time when diplomacy and mutual respect should be prioritized, honoring the internationally accepted name would send a clear message that Google values historical accuracy, global cooperation, and good neighborly relations. Erasing “Mexico” from our maps isn’t an aberration. It’s part of a long pattern of anti-Mexican racism in the U.S., ranging from political scapegoating and border militarization to violent rhetoric that fuels hate crimes.

But this move goes beyond that. It fits into a much larger U.S. strategy of controlling the Western Hemisphere, one that dates back to the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, which claimed the U.S. had the right to dictate who influences Latin America.

For decades, this policy has justified U.S. wars, coups, and economic control over the region. It relies on military alliances, economic interventions, and exploitation of Latin America’s rich natural resources. This isn’t just about Trump’s ego, it’s part of a long, imperialist history of treating Latin America as the U.S. “backyard.”

We urge Google to reject this renaming, uphold international norms, and maintain the Gulf of Mexico’s name on all versions of Google Maps.

Your friends can sign here.