FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — A longtime Central Valley farmworker says he is heartbroken by recent sexual abuse allegations made against civil rights leader Cesar Chavez, a figure he credits with transforming working conditions for thousands of laborers.<\/p>\n
In his living room, beneath a UFW flag and a figurine of Chavez, “All of the sacrifice, to be stained in an instant,” Gabriel Valladolid said.<\/p>\n
Valladolid, who has picked tomatoes for decades and is a proud member of the United Farm Workers, keeps a single memento from his own activism: a meal card from a trip to Sacramento, where he protests for farmworker rights.<\/p>\n
Showing the card, he said, “This is from when we were fighting for overtime and we won in Sacramento.”<\/p>\n
He said Chavez’s movement brought significant improvements for farmworkers.<\/p>\n
“Farmworkers suffer a lot, there are very little regulations and rights, but thank you to Caesar Chavez’s movement there’s been a lot of positive changes like shade, water, breaks, and overtime,” he said.<\/p>\n
But Valladolid fears the allegations could lead to funding cuts or the loss of critical resources to the farmworker community and movement.<\/p>\n
“Aside from Cesar Chavez’s organization there’s very few others that are helping farmworkers,” he said. “Will there be no one fighting for the farm workers? That’s the impact, I fear of.”<\/p>\n
The allegations come just a few years after Fresno renamed several historic streets to form the 10-mile-long Cesar Chavez Boulevard.<\/p>\n
The change faced opposition and legal challenges at the time.<\/p>\n
Now, Supervisor Garry Bredefeld, the lone city councilmember who voted against the renaming, says he would back a reversal.<\/p>\n
“We should return the historical context of these streets. They never should’ve been changed, but unfortunately, it would cost money once again to change it back,” Bredefeld said.<\/p>\n
Supporters of the renaming included former Councilmember Luis Chavez and current Councilmembers Miguel Arias and Nelson Esparza. All three released statements responding to the allegations.<\/p>\n
Chavez called them “disappointing and alarming.”<\/p>\n
Esparza said he is “stunned,” adding that “there are more questions than answers.”<\/p>\n
Arias said he supports pausing celebrations while more information emerges, adding that “truth and transparency are essential.”<\/p>\n
There is a UFW protest scheduled for tomorrow regarding wage protections. At this point, organizers tell Action News it is still expected to move forward despite these allegations.<\/p>\n
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