LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The Los Angeles City Council finalized today the renaming of a Boyle Heights street east of Mariachi Plaza after Mexican singer Vicente "Chente" Fernandez , who died at the age of 81 last year.
A date for a renaming ceremony is expected to be announced in the coming days, according to the office of Councilman Kevin de Leon, who introduced the motion.
"The legacy of Vicente Fernandez continues to resonate and inspire people worldwide, making us proud to call ourselves Latino," de Leon said. "Through his music, he has etched his place in history on the hearts of fans who will forever cherish him."
In an earlier statement, the councilman called Fernandez a "cultural icon," adding that his "music and talent impacted generations of Latinos, not only in his native homeland of Mexico, but across the globe."
"This name change will benefit the mariachis at La Plaza and increase people visiting Boyle Heights, allowing all of the businesses to benefit from the food and music that we serve there," said Sandra Villalobos, a representative of Organizacion de Mariachis Independiente de California.
The council's decision follows the city of Pico Rivera remaining a street leading into the Pico Rivera Sports Arena last week in honor of Fernandez.
But Boyle Heights honor did not come without opposition.
After de Leon introduced the motion in January, David Silvas, the Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council's vice president and chair of its Planning and Land Use Committee, submitted a letter to the City Council's Public Works Committee to oppose it, citing a comment Fernandez made during an interview in which he said he refused a liver transplant because he didn't know if the donor was homosexual or addicted to drugs.
Silvas also noted reports of Fernandez being accused of inappropriately touching women. In his letter, Silvas said naming the street for Fernandez would be "insulting and denigrating to the LGBTQ+ community and anyone facing the struggles of addiction" as well as "victims of sexual abuse."
Fernandez retired from the stage in 2016. He died in Guadalajara, Mexico, where he was also born. His death followed months of health issues and an August 2021 injury at his ranch in Guadalajara.
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