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Dems face reckoning after putting deceased labor leader on pedestal as sexual abuse allegations emerge
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Democrats are facing a reckoning after casting César Chavez as a near-sacred figure of the American left for decades— honoring him in DNC statements, White House proclamations and annual public tributes — but that long-running celebration is now colliding with newly surfaced abuse allegations.
Allegations that a 45-year-old Chavez sexually abused and groomed minors and adults, including one girl who was as young as 13 at the time of the abuse and another who became pregnant twice following their encounters, broke earlier this week after the New York Times published allegations from Chavez’s victims who largely remained silent for decades.
After the news, the Chavez-founded labor union, United Farm Workers, called the allegations «profoundly shocking» and decided to cancel its upcoming annual celebrations honoring him. Meanwhile, the César Chavez Foundation opted to do the same, describing the allegations as «disturbing» and noting they were «deeply shocked and saddened.»
CESAR CHAVEZ DAY CANCELED BY UNIONS AFTER ‘TROUBLING’ SEXUAL ALLEGATIONS AGAINST CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER
Cesar Chavez speaks to demonstrators in Washington, D.C. (Frank Hurley/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)
In 2010, President Barack Obama issued a presidential proclamation declaring March 31 César Chavez Day. You would have to go back to Bill Clinton, before César Chavez Day even existed, to find a Democratic Party president who did not honor him during the month of March. Obama began the tradition in 2009, issuing an official White House statement explicitly commemorating «César Chavez’s birthday» and praising his legacy as a civil rights and labor leader.
The following year, he announced the first official César Chavez Day to be held March 31 every year, and then subsequently, every year thereafter, put out a statement in honor of him. The tradition was then picked up when former President Joe Biden took office in 2021.
«The hypocrisy is rich, and Democrats’ praise for an abuser and rapist has-been is now exposed,» a national GOP strategist told Fox News Digital. «Any refusal to apologize or retract statements will be taken as Democrats supporting his disgusting behavior.»
After the allegations broke Wednesday, Fox News Digital reached out to a slew of Democrats, as well as the Democrat National Committee (DNC), all of whom recently professed public praise and support for Chavez.
«A movement is about the people—not any one person—and its strength lies in the values it upholds. We can honor the farmworker movement—and the generations who sacrificed to build it—while also confronting painful truths,» said Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who touted Chavez as a «champion for justice and dignity» on César Chavez Day in 2024. «No legacy is above accountability.»
«The farm workers movement and a labor movement are much bigger than one man — and we celebrate that and that will be our focus as we process what the next steps are,» said California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who, alongside his wife Jennifer, posted a video tribute to Chavez on March 31 of last year praising him as «a leader who fought for justice, dignity and fairness.»
However, in light of the new allegations, a source familiar with Newsom’s thinking said the governor was open to conversations with California lawmakers about proposed statutory changes in response.
SCALISE ACCUSES DEMOCRATS OF REVIVING ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ PUSH WITH DHS FUNDING GAMBIT
Los Angeles Mayor KAren Bass posted this photo of her younger-self next to Cesar Chavez on Cesar Chavez Day last year. (Mayor Karen Bass)
«I am keeping Dolores Huerta, Ana Murguia, and Debra Rojas in my heart, and I honor their strength and that of every woman and girl horrifically harmed by those in power,» said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who posted a photo of herself with the late civil rights and labor union leader last year on his March 31 day of remembrance instituted by Obama.
«The sickening reality is that what Dolores, Ana, and Debra endured is not isolated, nor is it of the past. Real progress requires more than moments of reckoning – it demands sustained action to dismantle social, cultural, economic, and political structures that have hurt women throughout our history,» Bass continued. «Dolores and leaders like her inspired so many of us to activism. Mr. Chavez’s crimes do not diminish the courage of farm workers and workers everywhere who fight for their rights, equality for Latinos, and a stronger nation for everyone.»
On Thursday, Bass signed a proclamation of her own to rename César Chavez Day to «Farm Workers Day.» Meanwhile, Colorado Democrat Gov. Jared Polis, who also praised the activist on March 31 last year, said his state would not be celebrating the honorary holiday for Chavez «this year.»
«Nor does he plan to direct state agencies to take action to celebrate Cesar Chavez in light of these heinous allegations,» a Polis spokesperson added. «Further, he would encourage the legislature to consider drafting legislation to change the optional state holiday, which is in law.»
Other Democrats scrambled to put out statements after news of the accusations broke, with many mirroring the language from top Democrats that the movement Chavez helped create is bigger than just him.
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The allegations against Chavez remained out of the public’s eye for many years, although, per the New York Times, there were earlier signs. According to their reporting, the victims they spoke to were not only embarrassed but also scared of tarnishing the reputation of someone so important to so many others and to the labor union and civil rights movements.
Cesar Chavez, then-president of the United Farm Workers, speaks in California in 1988. (Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images)
On Wednesday afternoon, Republican Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, said that Texas will no longer be observing César Chavez Day on March 31, and that he was instructing all state agencies to comply. The Texas governor added that he plans to work in the upcoming legislative session to remove the day of remembrance from state law completely.
«Reports of the horrific and widely acknowledged sexual assault allegations against Cesar Chavez rightfully dismantle the myth of this progressive hero and undermine the narrative that elevated Chavez as a figure worthy of official state celebration,» Abbot said.
democratic party,democrats,democrats senate,labor unions,politics,barack obama,joe biden
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El dilema de Donald Trump: ¿Se justifican 200.000 millones de dólares para una guerra sin fin con Irán y una posible invasión terrestre?
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A trio of progressive Democrats backed by members of «The Squad» suffered blistering rebukes on Tuesday as Illinois voters rejected them in favor of more moderate candidates, prompting questions from onlookers about whether the party’s core, and momentum, should be entrusted to the far-left wing of its base.
To James Carville, a longtime Democratic strategist, the answer has been «no» for a long time. Talking to Fox News Digital in response to several progressive candidates losing in Tuesday’s Democratic primary in deep blue Illinois, he questioned the narrative that Squad-aligned progressives are gaining momentum.
«What momentum? About 15% of the Democratic Party identifies themselves as progressive. And what’s unique, they win about 15% in the primaries at most,» Carville said. «This was something I’ve dealt with all my life.»
«In New York, [Zohran] Mamdami got 50.5% — which is not overwhelming. That’s hardly the basis for some national movement,» Carville said, referring to the socialist mayor of New York City.
AIPAC-BACKED CHICAGO DEMOCRAT LOSES PRIMARY DESPITE OUTSIDE SPENDING BLITZ
Progressive candidates in the Illinois primary were largely unsuccessful against more moderate candidates. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
The progressive losses all came despite high-profile support from some of the most progressive figures in Congress.
Kat Abughazaleh, the 26-year-old Palestinian American running on an anti-establishment platform and promises to implement a «wealth tax,» attracted support from the likes of Rep. Rashida Talib, D-Mich., and Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn, but lost on Tuesday.
Defeated technology entrepreneur Junaid Ahmed told voters he would push for the self-determination of Gaza and implement healthcare for all, earning the support of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
And Robert Peters, a state senator who raised $1.1 million on his track record of helping to end cash bail and raising the minimum wage at the state level, garnered backing from Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt, and Warren, but lost his bid for Congress to Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller.
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Between them, they raised $5.7 million.
Anthony Driver Jr., widely regarded as a progressive candidate in Illinois’ 7th District Democratic primary, lost to the more moderate, establishment-aligned Democrat, La Shawn Ford.
Driver was endorsed by Jayapal and the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Liam Kerr, co-founder of the Welcome PAC, a group that supports moderate Democrats, believes their losses should give the party a clear takeaway.
«Illinois is just the latest reminder that the noise machine around far-left candidates rarely translates into actual votes,» Kerr said.
«There’s a real hunger in this party to win, and the candidates who keep losing are the ones more focused on ideological performance than tried and true economic concerns. The blueprint is simple: ditch the clout-chasing ideologues and invest in hard-working candidates who know their communities.»
Kerr’s framing was echoed by Jim Kessler, vice president of policy at Third Way, a Democrat think tank focused on moderate platforms.
«Illinois delivered a cold shower to the progressive fringe in the Democratic Party. Every winner was a mainstream Democrat. A lesson Democrats always have to relearn is that mainstream beats extreme,» Kessler said.
But to other onlookers, the results aren’t so definitive. Even as figures like Carville argue far-left policies aren’t a recipe for national success, others see the Illinois losses as far less decisive for progressives than critics suggest.
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Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, center, speaks in Chicago. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Michael Ceraso, a veteran of the 2016 Sanders presidential campaign, pointed out that some of Tuesday’s winners can’t be swept neatly into the «moderate» camp. He doesn’t believe progressives really even lost the night at all.
«Daniel Biss is a progressive. The dude pushed climate and building regulations in Evanston,» Ceraso said, referring to the winner for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District — the candidate that beat out Abughazaleh.
Ceraso also noted that several candidates backed by Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker won out.
«The Illinois governor is a progressive. He backed [Juliana] Stratton,» Ceraso said, referring to the lieutenant governor and Senate candidate who won the Democratic nomination in a high-profile, competitive, contentious, and expensive primary showdown.
«[They] increased the minimum wage, ended the sub-minimum wage for disabled people and protected reproductive care. That’s what progress means: moving toward a goal that lifts others, not protecting the status quo.»
Still, other voices, like that of Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, noted that outside groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) had focused their attention on defeating the most progressive voices in the election.
«The real debate inside the Democratic Party is not whether progressive economic policies appeal to voters,» Green argued.
«It is whether candidates who genuinely believe in those ideas can compete against industries willing to spend millions to co-opt that message in support of candidates who will never actually challenge power,» Green said.
Having now cleared the primaries, Illinois will hold its general elections on Nov. 3.
politics,midterm elections,illinois
INTERNACIONAL
Qué leer gratis: cómo vivir sin ansiedad, los “desamores breves” y el pionero argentino de la ciencia ficción
Algunos creen que no hay salida, que desde que apareció el celular ya no se puede sacar la cara de la pantalla. Una salida posible es el libro: tirarse a leer a la sombra de sauce una buena historia atrapante. Pero quizás el problema no sea el soporte sino el contenido. ¿Y si en vez de estar scrolleando eternamente en las redes sociales nos sentamos a leer, en el mismo celular, un buen cuento, una novela, un ensayo, algo que nos lleve de paseo por otra vida, otro mundo, otra sensibilidad?
A continuación, tres libros que se pueden leer gratis en Bajalibros.
Las fuerzas extrañas, de Leopoldo Lugones
Las fuerzas extrañas, de Leopoldo Lugones, publicado en 1906, es un libro fundamental porque marca el nacimiento de la ciencia ficción y la fantasía en la literatura argentina. Aunque en su momento fue poco comprendido y no tuvo éxito comercial, la colección de cuentos imaginó experimentos y avances científicos que, décadas después, la propia ciencia acabaría confirmando. Lugones explora el conocimiento humano y la curiosidad científica en relatos que mezclan el asombro, la tragedia y el humor, anticipando temas que hoy atraviesan el género.
La importancia del libro reside en su capacidad para mostrar cómo la literatura puede ser un laboratorio de ideas y una puerta a futuros posibles. Cada cuento de Las fuerzas extrañas se convierte en una reflexión sobre los límites de la ciencia, la ética y la imaginación, invitando al lector a cuestionar la realidad y a considerar el impacto del progreso sobre la condición humana. Obras como “La fuerza omega”, “La metamúsica” o “Yzur” se adelantaron a debates contemporáneos sobre inteligencia artificial, la relación con los animales y los riesgos del conocimiento sin control.
Para un lector actual, Las fuerzas extrañas no es solo una curiosidad histórica: es una obra que sigue vigente porque plantea preguntas esenciales sobre el sentido del avance científico y el papel de la ficción como herramienta para pensar el presente y el futuro. Leer a Lugones hoy es reconocer la potencia de la literatura para anticipar y provocar cambios en la forma en que comprendemos el mundo.
(Des)Amores breves de Carolina Balbiani
Carolina Balbiani es periodista de Infobae. Los lectores la conocen. Escribe historias de amor y muerte con una intensidad impactante. Publicó varios libros. Uno de ellos se titula (Des)Amores breves, cuentos en el que hace foco en los efectos que el amor desbordante provoca en ciertas personas que no están preparadas para romper la vida cotidiana. Cuando el encanto de la pasión se vuelve un hechizo maldito.
“Son historias que nacen de historias que escuché y todas terminaban mal. Los finales felices son un poco bobos, me parece. Es un prejuicio mío, es totalmente arbitrario. Pero cuando me protestan por los finales, yo digo que si el día es lindo y está todo bien, no hay historia. Hay una idealización del amor fogoso, pero después decanta la vida. Y la vida es mucho más que la pasión. Intenté poner esas cosas que uno piensa y no dice. Como cuando hay gente que piensa que mejor no hubiera tenido un embarazo, o un romance, o una historia, pero no lo dice porque es políticamente incorrecto. Me gusta que el personaje pueda expresarse”, dijo la autora en una entrevista para Infobae con Patricia Zunini.
60 maneras de vivir sin ansiedad
En tiempos de mucho celular y la imposibilidad de una pausa reflexiva, viene muy bien la lectura. La lectura en general. Pero en particular, un libro: 60 maneras de vivir sin ansiedad. Técnicas sencillas, explicaciones dinámicas y buenas ideas para replantearse la vida cotidiana son algunas de las propuestas de este texto que se puede leer como una especie de guía para el bienestar personal.
Cómo dejar de ser perfeccionista cómo mejorar la organización cotidiana para ganar en armonía y bienestar o de qué manera alejar los pensamientos negativos y reducir la velocidad vertiginosa a la que vivimos figuran entre los temas centrales que ofrecemos aquí. Además los lectores encontrarán técnicas saludables para aliviar las tensiones del cuerpo y de la mente. Meditación, tai chi chuan, recetas naturales, relajación, masajes y mucho más.
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