Santiago Cantsn, the Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), has won the 2005 Chapultepec Grand Prize for defending press freedom. Awarded annually since 1997 by the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), the prize honours individuals from the Americas whose work promotes the principles of the Declaration of Chapultepec, a set of guidelines for protecting press
freedom.

IAPA says in choosing Cantsn, it honours a person "completely devoted to the fundamental human right of freedom of expression." Trained in law at the University of Buenos Aires and the American
University, Cantsn was the IACHR's first Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, an independent
office created in 2001 that has since become an effective watchdog and advocate in the Americas.
Cantsn also lobbied for the adoption of the Inter-American Declaration of Principles on Freedom of
Expression, a human rights blueprint for the Organization of American States (OAS).

The award comes amidst uncertainty about the independence of the IACHR as the OAS seeks to
restructure its agencies to trim a multi-million dollar budget deficit. Under the proposed changes, the
IACHR fears it would lose control over the management of its finances and staffing, thereby threatening its autonomy.