STATEMENT ON CÉSAR CHÁVEZ
LOS ANGELES, CA — In response to today’s news about César Chávez, Antonio Villaraigosa released the following statement:
“The recent reporting about César Chávez is deeply disturbing. My heart goes out first and foremost to the victims and survivors, to the women who have come forward, and to those who may still be carrying pain in silence. The suffering they have endured cannot be overstated. Dolores Huerta and the other victims and survivors should know that you are seen, you are believed, and you deserve the space to heal. Your courage in speaking out matters and must be respected.
I was 15 years old when I first met César Chávez at the Joaquín Murrieta Center in East Los Angeles. I remember hearing him speak about the indignities that farm workers endure and the Grapé Boycott movement. I was inspired by his quiet dignity and his seeming selflessness.
These revelations are a punch in the gut for me and for so many who believed deeply in the cause of social justice. Chávez’s legacy has long been defined by the fight for dignity and justice. That legacy helped transform our country and uplift farmworkers and Latino communities.
But moral clarity demands that we hold two truths at once.
The allegations we are now confronting, involving rape and the abuse of underage girls, are shocking, painful, and deeply troubling. They must be taken seriously. We cannot dismiss or ignore the voices of survivors. They must be listened to with respect, supported with compassion, and met with a process that centers around truth and accountability.
Let me be clear, no level of power can go unchecked. No individual, no matter how revered, is above accountability.
We must also recognize that movements are bigger than any one person. The farmworkers’ struggle, and the sacrifices of countless organizers, families, and laborers, remains a righteous cause. Nothing can erase the courage of those who marched, organized, and fought for basic human rights.
As a community, we must meet this moment with honesty. That includes creating space for truth, for accountability, and for healing. Justice demands nothing less.”
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