Dolores Huerta speaks publicly after sexual abuse allegations about Cesar Chavez

Dolores Huerta gave her first public interview following a New York Times investigation that reported allegations of sexual abuse by Cesar Chavez. Huerta said she had kept her own experiences private for decades and praised other women who came forward.

Dolores Huerta spoke on the Latino USA podcast about recent reporting that raised allegations of sexual abuse involving Cesar Chavez. A New York Times investigation published this week included accounts from women who said they were abused, including two who say they were minors in the 1970s. Huerta, who co-founded a labor organization that later merged with the United Farm Workers, said she kept her own experiences private for about 60 years because she feared it would harm the farmworker movement. This interview is Huerta's first public remarks since the allegations became public. What is known: - The New York Times published an investigation reporting allegations that Cesar Chavez sexually abused women and girls, including accounts from two women who allege abuse as minors. - Dolores Huerta, 95, told Latino USA she experienced two separate encounters with Chavez decades ago and said she had kept them private for many years. - The Chavez family issued a statement calling the allegations "deeply painful," expressing sympathy for survivors and asking for privacy while they process the reporting. - CBS Los Angeles has reached out to the Chavez Foundation for comment and was awaiting a response. Summary: Huerta's interview adds a longtime firsthand account to recent reporting and contributes to public discussion about Chavez's legacy. Undetermined at this time.