Google Maps is becoming Mexico's newest form of protest

Google said the rebranding was done by a prankster, and has already been fixed.

“The majority of users who edit our maps make great contributions like adding places that had never been mapped, new businesses, or address changes,” a Google spokesperson told me. “We offer apologies for this inappropriate content created by a user. It has been removed.”

The spokesperson said Google monitors its maps and tries to keep such incidents to a minimum. “We learn from these incidents and constantly improve the way we detect, prevent, and bring attention to incorrect listings.”

It’s not the first time Mexicans have used Google Maps to make a political statement.

Last year Mexican social media blew up when somebody tagged the first lady’s infamous $7 million mansion as the “Museum of Corruption” on Google Maps.

This week’s name switcheroo come amid protests over a controversial hike in gas prices known as el gasolinazo. While the street protests have become unruly at times, Mexicans are also blowing off steam on the internet with a flurry of memes and hashtags.