Tensions are rising quickly.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum recently weighed in on the controversial statements made by President-elect Donald Trump regarding U.S. territorial expansion, with a proposal to change the name of North America in response to his remarks about the Gulf of Mexico.
In a wide-ranging speech on Tuesday, Trump suggested that the United States might look to expand its territory, including through annexation of Canada, Greenland, and the Panama Canal. He also proposed renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.” Sheinbaum, in her morning press conference on Wednesday, responded with her own challenge to Trump’s ideas, suggesting that the Gulf of Mexico should be renamed to reflect a historical context, proposing the term “Mexican America.”
“The Gulf of Mexico, as it is internationally recognized, has been known by that name for centuries, but why not call it ‘Mexican America’?” Sheinbaum remarked, referencing old maps and historical records. She pointed out that the term “Mexican America” had been used in the early 1800s, including in the country’s first proposed constitution, the Apatzingán Constitution of 1814. Though the document never went into effect, it referred to the territory as “América Mexicana.”
Sheinbaum’s remarks are not just a political response to Trump, but also a nod to Mexico’s deep historical and cultural roots in the region. The Apatzingán Constitution, which was drafted in 1814, symbolized Mexico’s aspirations for territorial unity in the wake of independence from Spain. Historical maps from the colonial era also referred to North America as “Mexicana,” illustrating the region’s significance to Mexico long before the modern U.S.-Mexico border was established.
Her remarks seem to echo the rhetorical style of her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who was known for engaging with Trump in a way that mixed diplomatic niceties with sharp criticism of U.S. policies. While López Obrador often maintained a cordial relationship with Trump for domestic political reasons, he was not afraid to stand firm on Mexico’s sovereignty.
Trump’s proposals, especially his questioning of the U.S.-Canada border as an “artificial line,” have raised concerns internationally. He suggested that the two countries, which share one of the world’s most robust trade relationships, would be better off as a single market. On the U.S.-Mexico border, Trump doubled down on his characterization of Mexico as being controlled by drug cartels, a claim Sheinbaum was quick to dismiss, humorously implying that Trump was still under the impression that former Mexican President Felipe Calderón was in power.
While Trump’s statements have sparked debate over the future of North American borders, Sheinbaum’s comments serve as a reminder that the region’s history is much deeper and more complex than the political talking points of the present.