The Daily How Cesar Chavez Abused His Power
118 snips
Mar 31, 2026 
Sarah Hurtes, a New York Times investigative reporter, and Manny Fernandez, a veteran Times editor, recount a five-year investigation into allegations against Cesar Chavez. They trace how a crucial tip opened the story. They describe earning survivors’ trust. They follow the secrecy, isolation, fear of backlash, and the broader pattern that emerged.
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Why Investigating Cesar Chavez Carried Personal Stakes
- Manny Fernandez says Cesar Chavez was part of the "weather" of Mexican American life in Fresno, making the investigation personally and culturally high stakes.
- He frames Chavez as to the Southwest what Martin Luther King Jr. is to the South, which explains why the allegations could reorder a civic legacy.
Deborah Rojas Tested Whether The Press Could Handle It
- Deborah Rojas first accused Chavez in a private Facebook group, writing that the man people marched for had molested her, then deleted the post.
- When she later called Manny Fernandez, she was terrified Chavez loyalists would come after her family, then blocked him again.
How Anna Says Chavez Groomed Her At La Paz
- Anna moved to La Paz at 10, worked in Chavez's office by 12 or 13, and says he became the adult she trusted when she felt lonely.
- Sarah Hurtes reports that Chavez used healing rituals and "pressure points" on a yoga mat before the contact escalated into intercourse and secrecy.