On Tuesday, United States President-elect Donald Trump held a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, where he proposed renaming the Gulf of Mexico to “the Gulf of America”.
According to Trump, the name change is appropriate because the gulf includes U.S. territory.
“We do most of the work, so we will rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which is a beautiful and very appropriate name”, he said.
Shortly after his statement, Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene announced she would introduce a bill as soon as possible to make the name change official. But can Trump really rename the Gulf of Mexico? Here’s what you need to know.
Can Trump rename the Gulf of Mexico?
Trump’s statement quickly sparked controversy, and on Wednesday, it was addressed by Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, who firmly rejected the idea of renaming the Gulf of Mexico.
During her morning press conference, Claudia Sheinbaum emphasized that the Gulf of Mexico is a registered name and has had international recognition since the 15th century, long before the United States existed. In response, she proposed calling the United States “Mexican America”.
“Obviously, the Gulf of Mexico is recognized, its name, by the United Nations, a United Nations body. But why not call (the United States) ‘Mexican America’? It sounds nice, doesn’t it? Don’t you agree? Since 1607. The Constitution of Apatzingán referred to ‘Mexican America’,” Sheinbaum remarked.
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Claudia Sheinbaum responds to Donald Trump’s claims
Sheinbaum Pardo also responded to claims by Republican Donald Trump that Mexico is governed by cartels. She dismissed these allegations as false, stating that the country is governed by its people.
“President Trump was misinformed, with all due respect, because I believe he was told that Mexico is still governed by Felipe Calderón and García Luna. But no, in Mexico, the people govern”, she stated.
History of Mexican America
The term “Mexican America” originated in the 16th century. Following the Spanish conquest, the city that served as the center of the Kingdom of New Spain was named Mexico. Consequently, the name began to be used to refer to all territories governed from that capital.
In 1590, the Orbis Terrarum map by Petrus Plancius identified the entire northern region of the New World as “Mexican America,” reflecting its subordination to the city of Mexico.
This name remained in use for several centuries. It even appears in the Constitution of Apatzingán, promulgated in 1814. This document, composed of 242 articles divided into two sections, highlights the reference to “the freedom of Mexican America”.
When was the United States founded?
The Declaration of Independence is the document that formalized the United States as an independent nation. Before this event, the territory consisted of 13 colonies under British rule.
On July 2, 1776, Congress voted in favor of separating from Britain, and on July 4 of the same year, the Declaration of Independence was signed. For this reason, July 4 is celebrated as Independence Day, a federal holiday in the United States.
The country’s official name was established on November 15, 1777, when the Second Continental Congress approved the Articles of Confederation, designating the territory as “The United States of America”.
