City Councilor Stephanie Telles Supports Victims of César Chavéz Abuse

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Today, District 1 City Councilor Stephanie Telles issued the following statement in response to disturbing allegations of sexual abuse against César Chávez: 

“I believe Dolores Huerta and I stand with all survivors. 

I am deeply saddened and devastated by the revelations about César Chávez, but I am grounded in knowing that the United Farm Worker movement is bigger than one person. While his work is deeply woven into the fabric of Albuquerque, we can hold the complexities of his legacy and a demand for justice for survivors simultaneously. 

For many of us, that connection to his work is personal and profound. So is our connection with Dolores Huerta, who has been here in our communities organizing with us, present at our events, year after year, often while her own contributions were treated as a footnote to his. 

The story that has emerged is not just about one man's violence. It is about a system, and the movements that operate within it. For too long, too many have felt trapped by the fallacy that movements can only survive by consuming and silencing the most vulnerable people within it. Dolores Huerta, Ana Murguia, and Debra Rojas were forced to carry a cross that was never theirs to bear, under a threat that was not hypothetical. 

This system—that so many of us continue to work to dismantle—has conditioned us to believe that institutions, movements, and men in positions of power must be protected above all else. I stand firmly in the belief that any structure that can only survive by protecting evil deserves to collapse. 

We owe Dolores Huerta, and all survivors, so much more. Which is why I am committed to working collaboratively with my colleagues to evaluate any public honors associated with César Chávez, prioritizing the impact of harm on survivors and the broader community over the preservation of an individual’s legacy or public image. Where appropriate, I support the reconsideration, removal, or renaming of such honors to ensure they align with the City of Albuquerque’s commitment to dignity, accountability, and survivor-centered values. 

The struggle of all farm workers continues. The United Farm Workers movement will live on, because the movement is not one man and the struggle continues.” 

If you, or someone you know has experienced sexual violence or abuse, you are not alone.

New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs: https://nmcsap.org/

Enlace Comunitario: https://www.enlacenm.org/

New Mexico Asian Family Center: https://www.nmafc.org/

City of Albuquerque Domestic Violence And Sexual Assault Commission: https://www.cabq.gov/domestic-violence-and-sexual-assault-commission-1