Pioneering US labour leader Dolores Huerta dies aged 96

Dolores Huerta, the pioneering US labour leader and civil rights icon, has passed away at the age of 96, her family announced on Wednesday. She was a co-founder of the United Farm Workers union with Cesar Chavez, fighting tirelessly for better working conditions for migrant workers. Huerta, who was born in New Mexico and raised in California, took up the mantle of the union movement in the 1960s while raising seven children and going through a divorce.

In a shocking revelation this year, Huerta came forward to claim that she was among several women raped by Chavez, resulting in two pregnancies. Despite this revelation, Huerta remained a powerful figure in left-wing politics, organizing against President Donald Trump's immigration policies and continuing to inspire generations with her courage and determination.

She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former President Barack Obama in 2012, acknowledging her pivotal role in shaping the lives of millions of workers.