Fundamedios, Ecuador's only independent organization devoted to free press, is being targeted by the government and is likely to soon be shut down.

Since his election in 2007, President Rafael Correa has been engaged in a very public battle with Ecuadoran media, pressuring newspapers and threatening journalists.

Fundamedios, which was founded in 2006, has been documenting the president’s attack on media along the way.

On Tuesday, Ecuador’s Secretary of Communications (Secom), told Fundamedios that it is being dissolved for its “indisputably political” messages.

As reported by the Miami Herald, Fundamedios Director César Ricaurte said his organization has been given just 10 days to appeal. “They’re keeping up appearances that they’re giving us a chance to defend ourselves,” said Ricaurte. “But it’s been clear for a long time that they want to get rid of us.”

Secom asserts that, “Fundamedios has disseminated messages, alerts and essays with indisputable political overtones.”

Ricaurte told the Herald, via a phone conversation, that, “The government doesn’t make the distinction between political proselytizing and political journalism.”

Daniel Wilkinson, the managing director for Human Rights Watch in the Americas, said in a statement, “The Correa administration wants to punish an organization for tweeting articles with news and opinions it doesn’t like.”

“This is an egregious abuse of power and a clear example of this government’s authoritarian practices,” he added.

In 2013 Correa issued an executive decree, which allowed for government intervention in the operations of nongovernmental organizations. The decree allows the government to revoke charters if organizations threaten “public peace” or stray from their stated-missions. The Ecuadorian government has already used that law to close environmental groups and organizations that have taken a stand against the government.

As reported by the Associated Press, the U.S. State Department has voiced its concern about a perceived increase in restrictions on freedom of expression in Ecuador. John Kirby, a spokesman for the department, said Washington is particularly concerned about President Correa's moves to dissolve Fundamedios.

“The work that Fundamedios does is irreplaceable,” said Ricaurte about his threatened group. “There is no other organization that monitors aggression against the press.”