ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Dolores Huerta issued a statement, admitting Cesar Chavez manipulated her into having sex and led to her having two kids she put up for adoption.
Huerta, a civil rights activist who calls New Mexico home, worked alongside Chavez during the 1960s labor movement. She released a statement Wednesday, stating she wanted to share a secret she has kept for “the last 60 years” to not hurt the movement she has dedicated her life to.
“The first time I was manipulated and pressured into having sex with him, and I didn’t feel I could say no because he was someone that I admired, my boss and the leader of the movement I had already devoted years of my life to. The second time I was forced, against my will, and in an environment where I felt trapped,” Huerta said.
Huerta said the encounters led to her having two children. She said she arranged for other families to raise them.
“Over the years, I have been fortunate to develop a deep relationship with these children, who are now close to my other children, their siblings. But even then, no one knew the full truth about how they were conceived until just a few weeks ago,” she said.
Huerta said the New York Times’ investigation into Chavez’s alleged misconduct led to her coming forward. She said other women describing their experiences as girls and teens, made her realize she wasn’t alone.
“The knowledge that he hurt young girls sickens me. My heart aches for everyone who suffered alone and in silence for years. There are no words strong enough to condemn those deplorable actions that he did. Cesar’s actions do not reflect the values of our community and our movement,” she said.
Huerta called upon the work and lasting impact to continue beyond these revelations.
“We must continue to engage and support our community, which needs advocacy and activism now more than ever,” Huerta said. “I will continue my commitments to workers, as well as my commitment to women’s rights, to make sure we have a voice and that our communities are treated with dignity and given the equity that they have so long been denied.
“I have kept this secret long enough. My silence ends here.”
Several New Mexico place names are in Huerta and Chavez’s namesakes, including Avenida Dolores Huerta and Avenida Cesar Chavez in Albuquerque.
MORE:
