Dolores Huerta dies at 96 after accusing Cesar Chavez of sexual abuse

Dolores Huerta, co-founder with Cesar Chavez of the National Farm Workers Association in 1962, has died at 96. Her family said in an Oct. 28, 2026 Facebook post they were "deeply saddened to announce that our beloved mother, Dolores Huerta, has passed away today at the age of 96." Born in 1930 in Dawson, New Mexico, she helped lead farmworker strikes and boycotts, coined "Sí se puede," received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Obama in 2012, and was arrested more than 25 times for civil disobedience. In March 2026 she accused Chavez of sexually abusing her in the 1960s, calling a 1960 incident pressure into sex and a 1966 incident rape, tied to a New York Times report alleging he groomed and abused girls and women. Matthew J. Garcia said she was "a tenacious and strong negotiator of contracts on behalf of farm workers." Domingo Garcia said she was as strong a figure as Cesar and an unsung hero. Outlets differ on emphasis: left-rated coverage leads with her civil rights and UFW role; the right-rated outlet leads with the rape claims and reports California groups condemned Chavez and stripped his name from monuments. Cause of death was not reported.