HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Houston’s annual Cesar Chavez march was canceled as allegations of sexual abuse by a labor activist surfaced on Wednesday.
In a statement to Eyewitness News, Art Eureste, co-coordinator of the 2026 Houston Cesar Chavez March, confirmed that the event was canceled.
A New York Times article published on Wednesday reported that the late farmworker organizer, who became a national civil rights icon, allegedly abused women and minors.
In a statement to ABC News, Dolores Huerta, the labor activist who co-founded the United Farm Workers with Chavez, said she was “manipulated and pressured into having sex” with him.
SEE ALSO: ‘I can no longer stay silent’: Dolores Huerta alleges sexual assault by Cesar Chavez
“I can no longer stay silent and must share my own experiences,” Huerta said.
The labor activist said she’s now breaking her silence because the Times’ reporting “indicated that I was not the only one; there were others.”
In a statement to ABC News, Chavez’s family commented on the allegations:
“Our family is devastated by today’s New York Times article about our father Cesar Chavez. This is deeply painful for our family. We wish peace and healing to the survivors and commend their courage to come forward. As a family steeped in the values of equity and justice, we honor the voices of those who feel unheard and who report sexual abuse. We carry our own memories of the person we knew. Someone whose life included work and contributions that matter deeply to many people. We remain committed to farmworkers and the causes he and countless others championed and continue to champion. We ask for understanding and privacy as we continue to process this difficult information.”
Other parades across Texas, including San Antonio, Austin, and Corpus Christi, have been canceled.
This story comes from our news partner ABC13 Houston.