President Barack Obama on Tuesday awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to an honorary chair of the Democratic Socialists of America, Dolores Huerta.
The Heritage Foundation notes that Huerta, 82, has in the past said that “Republicans hate Latinos” and praised Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez.
She was one of 14 people to receive the nation’s highest civilian honor Tuesday. (SEE ALSO: Obama lauds Bob Dylan for ‘opening up’ his ‘world’ in college)
In announcing the award, Obama said he read about Huerta “when I was starting off as an organizer.”
Huerta is a co-founder of the United Farm Workers of America union. DSA describes itself as the “largest socialist organization in the United States.”