A cartoon penned by a US artist depicting the Mexican flag and its eagle riddled with bullets and dead in a pool of blood has incited offense across Mexico.

The Mexican flag, like the US flag, is highly regarded by many in Mexico as it is a symbol over which many have fought and died, especially since the government declared its war on drugs in 2006.

Many Mexicans have accused the American cartoonist, Daryl Cagle, of mocking their country and its national symbol (the eagle) during a difficult time in the nation’s history.

“Editorial cartoonists look for readily recognizable metaphors and that’s an obvious one for Mexico,” Cagle told CNN, appearing unmoved by the reaction to his drawing.

In Mexico, there is a sense of the Mexican flag and its national symbol being off limits to foreigners.

“As any democratic society, Mexico respects and defends freedom of speech and freedom of expression, in any way it’s manifested. Regarding the case of Mr. Cagle’s cartoon, we differ on the use he makes of the Mexican flag and the message it conveys,” read a statement released by the Mexican embassy in Washington.

“I think there are many other ways to graphically protest what’s happening in our country,” wrote a reader on a local news forum in Mexico.

Another commentator called upon cartoonists in Mexico to draw a fitting reply; the iconic American eagle dead after an over-dose. The US is the major market for drug cartels in Mexico.