Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum suggested on Wednesday that North America, including the United States, could be renamed “Mexican America” - the historical name used in early maps of the region – in response to the announcement. Donald Trump to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America”.
“Mexican America, that sounds nice,” Sheinbaum joked, pointing to a 1607 map showing North America under that name.
The president, who has argued with Trump in recent weeks, used the press conference to teach a historical lesson, with the help of old maps and former Minister of Culture Jose Alfonso Suarez del Real.
“The fact is that Mexican America has been recognized since the 17th century as the name for the entire northern part of the American continent,” said Suarez del Real, pointing to the area on the map.
Regarding the Gulf of Mexico, Suarez del Real said the name was internationally recognized and used as a maritime navigation reference for hundreds of years.
Trump talked about renaming the gulf that stretches from Florida to Cancun, Mexico on Tuesday at a press conference during which he presented a broad expansionist agenda including the possibility of taking control of the Panama Canal and Greenland.