City Council President Klarissa Peña Calls for Community to Stand with Victims and Workers
Accounts of sexual abuse, rape, and exploitation must be taken seriously.
ALBUQUERQUE, NM – City Council President Klarissa J. Peña, District 3, in response to the reported sexual abuse experienced by several victims of César Chávez, issued this statement in support of the victims:
“The allegations that have come forward about César Chávez are deeply disturbing and heartbreaking. The accounts of sexual abuse, rape, and the exploitation of women and minors including the courageous statements from Dolores Huerta must be taken seriously. I believe these women, and I stand with all survivors who have carried these experiences, often in silence, for far too long.
What we are confronting is difficult, but necessary. We must be clear: no legacy, no matter how significant, excuses abuse, coercion, or violence especially against women and children.
These credible and serious allegations require us to reevaluate who we choose to honor in our public spaces.
The Chicano Movement was never about a single leader. It was a broad struggle for civil rights, cultural identity, political power, labor rights, and educational equity for Mexican Americans/Chicano(a)s. Chávez, became one of its most visible symbols through the farm worker movement and the rise of the United Farm Workers.
In New Mexico, we stand with workers. The United Farm Workers and generations of unions represent a movement built by people who organized, sacrificed, and fought for dignity. That is what we should honor.
This moment calls us back to the core values of the Chicano Movement: collective action over individual hero worship, grassroots organizing, and community-led change. The movement was never about one person, it was about the people, the gente, the raza.
As a City, our values must be reflected in the names we elevate. Considering these revelations, I will be convening a working group of the city administration, Hispanic leaders, City Councilors, and members of the community at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in partnership with Director Zack Quintero, to begin a formal, transparent process to contemplate next steps regarding any honors or public assets named after César Chávez. This is not about erasing history, it is about honoring the real heroes and standing firmly with survivors.
This moment calls for us to come together as a community and face hard truths with honesty and care. By convening this working group we will center survivors, respect the broader movement that’s bigger than any one person, and ensure our decisions reflect the values Albuquerque stands for.”