Reaction to Trump’s annexation announcements
Mexico and Canada: Female politicians declare claim to US states
January 8, 2025 – 8:51 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Mexico’s president humorously suggests renaming parts of the USA America Mexicana. Canada’s Green Party leader also responds ironically to Trump’s comments.
After future US President Donald Trump’s proposal to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, neighboring Mexico is hitting back. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum suggested that the south of the USA could once again be called “America Mexicana” like on the world maps of the 17th century. “Why don’t we call it America Mexicana? Sounds good, doesn’t it?” she said at her daily press conference. The day before, Trump said the name he proposed, the Gulf of America, had “a beautiful ring to it.”
Until the Mexican-American War in the 19th century, current US states such as California, Arizona and Texas were part of Mexico. The name of the Gulf of Mexico on the southern coast of the USA has been in use since the 16th century. The body of water borders not only on the US states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, but also on Mexico and Cuba.
A renaming would therefore require diplomatic negotiations with these states and would also entail significant adjustments in maps, international treaties and scientific documents.
The left-wing politician and climate expert Sheinbaum has been Mexico’s first female president since October. Her predecessor and political foster father Andrés Manuel López Obrador was president during Trump’s first term in office (2017 to 2021). Despite the Republican’s threats at the time with punitive tariffs against Mexico and the tensions over the issue of migration, the experienced Mexican politician avoided publicly contradicting Trump and maintained a fairly good relationship with him.
In addition to Mexico, a Canadian politician has now also filed claims on US states – albeit probably more as a joke. Trump has repeatedly indicated for weeks that he wants to make Canada the 51st US state. He is currently making similar suggestions about Greenland and Panama.
Trump’s proposal, according to Canadian Green Party leader Elizabeth May, was disrespectful: “We have no plans to become the 51st state. It was a joke that was never funny. That stops now.” Instead, she suggested, “Maybe California wants to be our eleventh province? Oregon? Washington?” California, Oregon and Washington are all on the west coast of the USA.
May’s argument: “We have free health insurance for you. There are safe streets here, strict gun laws. Women have a right to abortions.” If she actually intends to make California a Canadian province, she would probably have to deal not only with the US government but also with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum – who sees California as part of a possible America Mexicana.
