ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – In honor of the 79th anniversary of the first nuclear test in New Mexico, the Albuquerque Museum will showcase a documentary about New Mexicans who still suffer today from radiation exposure. Advocates hope it will move legislators to supply funding to compensate for the suffering that followed.
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The Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium is partnering with the city of Albuquerque to keep the pressure on victims of radiation exposure to get compensation for their suffering.
“Well, we know that from the July 16th trinity test done in the-near the white sands area, there was lots of families, hundreds of people that were living there and not warned about the impending nuclear test,” said Alicia Romero, Curator of History at the Albuquerque Museum.
These families were exposed to radiation, causing generations of New Mexicans to deal with medical issues.
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This documentary wants to keep the pressure on to get compensation from the federal government. “This is a film definitely about social justice and about long-forgotten people and the sacrifice and suffering that they’ve been through,” said Tina Cordova, Co-founder of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium.
First We Bombed New Mexico is a documentary, ten years in the making, surrounding the stories of these families.
“If we could only lock all our members of Congress in a room and force them to see this film, RECA would be expanded in a heartbeat,” said Lois Lipman, Director/Producer of First We Bombed New Mexico.
“There’s always a tipping point in a movement, where people can no longer ignore the facts. And so, we’re very close to that right now and I just want people to see the film and join in the fight with us,” said Cordova.
The Albuquerque Museum says the screening of the documentary is free and open to the public upon reservation. It will take place July 16th on the 79th anniversary of the Trinity Test. The showings of the documentary will be at 2 p.m. and at 6 p.m. in the Ventana Salon.
