Dolores Huerta opens up about Cesar Chavez abuse allegations: 'It was very hard to keep this'

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Labor activistic Dolores Huerta is speaking connected camera for the archetypal clip astir her allegations against farmworker question person Cesar Chavez, describing decades of backstage symptom and her determination to yet stock what she says happened to her.

Huerta, 95, sat down with ABC News' John Quiñones to recount what it was similar to support the experiences a secret.

"It was precise hard. It was precise hard to support this but, you know, I deliberation I americium gathering connected the courageousness of these young women that they had the courageousness to travel retired and accidental what happened to them, and God knows what they've suffered ... truthful it was time. It was time," she said.

According to Huerta, Chavez pressured her to person enactment with him erstwhile she was successful her 20s and aboriginal raped her.

She said she had 2 children arsenic a effect of the encounters and arranged for some to beryllium raised by different families.

The allegations surfaced publically pursuing a New York Times probe that reported Chavez had groomed and sexually abused women and minors.

In her interview, Huerta reacted to proceeding the stories of others, saying it sickened her.

"Even much than sick, it's devastating," she said. "It's devastating due to the fact that Cesar spoke astir and practiced the nonviolent movement. Well, what could beryllium much convulsive than that, you know? To deliberation that idiosyncratic that we looked astatine arsenic our leader and our leader, you know, it's beauteous horrible."

Huerta said aft proceeding allegations from different women, she wanted to enactment them. She said that she intends to proceed advocating for farmworkers' rights arsenic the nationalist reassesses Chavez's spot successful history.

When she was asked whether the revelations could harm Chavez's legacy, Huerta said: "Well, I would anticipation that his bequest would unrecorded connected successful the things that were accomplished. The improvements that were made, and it's bittersweet to deliberation that helium had this acheronian broadside to him."

Several planned Cesar Chavez Day celebrations crossed the state person already been canceled.