“Obviously the Gulf of Mexico is recognized by the United Nations. Why don’t we call it Mexican America? It sounds nice, doesn’t it? Right? Since 1607,” said the president after showing a 17th century world map where both terms appear.

The comments occur a day after Trump hinted that his administration would rename the Gulf of Mexico as “Gulf of America,” in reference to the country he will lead from the 20th of this month.

“The Apatzingán Constitution (1814) was of Mexican America. So, let’s call it Mexican America. It sounds nice, right? And the Gulf of Mexico, well, since 1607, and it is also internationally recognized,” Sheinbaum emphasized.

On the other hand, she considered that the future president, who said the day before that this Latin American nation was governed by the cartels, was not adequately informed.

“They misinformed him, with all due respect, because I believe that they informed him that in Mexico Felipe Calderón and (Genaro) García Luna (former Secretary of Security from 2006 to 2012 and convicted in the United States for links to drug trafficking) still governed, but no. In Mexico the people govern,” she asserted.

When presenting the world map, the political advisor of the Coordination of Social Communication of the Presidency, José Alfonso Suárez del Real, mentioned that Mexican America has been recognized since 1607 as the name of the entire northern part of the continent itself.

“The name Gulf of Mexico, in addition to being historical, is registered with international organizations that consider it a nautical reference since the 16th century, before the United States existed,” added the official at Sheinbaum’s usual press conference.

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