Cesar Chavez Blvd groundbreaking ceremony, events canceled amid allegations

SAN LUIS, Ariz. (KYMA) - San Luis, Arizona Mayor Nieves Riedel confirmed Wednesday the Cesar Chavez Boulevard groundbreaking event for next Monday has been canceled due to allegations against Chavez.

In addition to the groundbreaking event, Mayor Riedel also confirmed that the Cesar Chavez Day activities have also been canceled.

This comes one day after abuse allegations against local civil rights leader Cesar Chavez surfaced.

The Cesar Chavez Foundation released a statement Tuesday saying they are deeply shocked and saddened by the allegations.

The UFW also released a statement saying it has not received direct reports, and does not have any first-hand knowledge of the allegation.

In a statement Wednesday, labor leader Dolores Huerta responded to the allegations against Chavez saying she had two non-consensual "sexual encounters" with him that ended in pregnancy.

In San Luis, his legacy is hard to miss, from the Cesar Chavez Cultural Center to streets that bear his name, and even the home where he died.

Many residents remember their days as field workers and can recall meeting him in person.

For some in the community, the news is hard to take.

"It made me so sad because for all these years, we've had this vision of him always helping people...All this time, we've been taught about all his good work," said Steven Keely, a San Luis resident.