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Dolores Huerta, a legendary union leader and left-wing activist, died at the age of 96

The co-founder of thce United Farm Workers union died of cancer in California. Her career was marked by her advocacy for farmworkers, her political activism and recent revelations about the sexual abuse she claimed to have suffered at the hands of César Chávez.

Dolores Huerta, a legendary union leader and left-wing activist, died at the age of 96

Union leader and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta AFP

Diane Hernández
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Diane Hernández

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The historic union leader and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta died Wednesday, Oct. 28, at the age of 96, after a battle with cancer, as confirmed by her family to the AFP. The activist passed away surrounded by her loved ones in Bakersfield, California.

Born in New Mexico in 1930, Huerta was one of the leading figures of the U.S. farm labor movement. Together with César Chávez, she founded in 1962 the organization that would later become the United Farm Workers (UFW), where she led strikes and negotiations to improve working conditions for farmworkers, as reported by the Associated Press.

For decades, she also maintained close ties with the Democratic Party and participated in campaigns in support of immigrants' rights, feminism and abortion rights. In her later years, she was a critic of President Donald Trump.

The allegations against César Chávez

In March 2026, Huerta revealed that she had been a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of César Chávez, her longtime union partner, who died in 1993.

According to an investigation by The New York Times, the activist alleged that Chávez sexually assaulted her on two occasions during the 1960s, incidents that resulted in two pregnancies.

The revelations were part of a broader investigation into allegations of sexual abuse against the union leader, including claims from women who said they had been victims when they were minors.

Obama and other Democrats mourn her death

Former President Barack Obama, who awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012, expressed his condolences and highlighted her legacy, according to AFP.

Former President Bill Clinton, former Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, and California Governor Gavin Newsom, who ordered state flags to be flown at half-mast.

Huerta was also the one who popularized the slogan "Sí se puede," which Obama later adapted as "Yes, we can" during his 2008 presidential campaign.

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