Dolores Huerta, U.S. labour leader and civil rights icon, dead at 96

Dolores Huerta, the prominent US civil rights leader and farm workers' rights activist, has passed away at the age of 96, according to her family. Huerta, who fought alongside Cesar Chavez for the rights of agricultural laborers during the 1960s and 1970s, co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) union. The union championed better working conditions and rights for workers, many of whom endured exploitation and discrimination.

Huerta continued her activism through the Dolores Huerta Foundation, addressing issues such as immigration, voting rights, and community empowerment. Her death has been confirmed by her family spokesman, Erik Olvera, who announced that the loss was a difficult moment for the family and requested privacy during their mourning period.

Huerta's allegations of sexual abuse against Chavez, made public earlier this year, follow an investigation by The New York Times which detailed claims of Chavez grooming and sexually abusing girls involved in the farm workers' movement. Chavez's family expressed devastation over the allegations and praised the women's courage in coming forward.

Huerta's decades-long activism made her one of the most prominent figures in the American farm workers' rights movement, advocating for improved wages, safer working conditions, and greater protections for agricultural workers.