“They all died of some form of cancer”: Trinity test site downwinder describes horrors of nuclear testing

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- Two and a half weeks after its release, moviegoers are still rushing to the cinema to see Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer,' one of the hottest films of the year.

But for nearly 80 years, many in southern New Mexico are still directly suffering from the real-life events depicted in the film.

Genoveva Peralta grew up in Capitan, New Mexico, around 50 miles from the Trinity site.

“When they heard the explosion, it shattered the windows, some of the windows in the house, the ground trembled, they started crying and huddling in the corner, ‘cause they didn’t know what was going on," said Perralta of the test.

"My dad came in, dusted himself with white powder, [and] all the cows had powder on them.”

All eight of Peralta's family members, including herself, have suffered from cancer, which they blame directly on radiation poisoning from the test.

She is the only one that is still alive.

“They all died of one form of cancer or another. It was devastating for everybody," she said.

Her story, and other people's who live downwind of the test site, are being showcased at the ‘Trinity: Legacies of Nuclear Testing - A People's Perspective’ exhibit at the Branigan Cultural Center.

It showcases the art and photography of 17 juried artists that attempts to bring the impacts of that test to life.

Emmitt Booher’s photograph, titled 'Come All Ye Faithful,' is a centerpiece of the exhibit, showcasing what he calls a "spectacle and carnival" view of what he believes the Trinity site has become today.

“it basically was a culmination of being involved with the downwinders, and reconciling the historic view of things as they were taught…and how it was viewed by so many people that to me was a very superficial version of not taking a people’s perspective," said Booher.

The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act is set to expire in July of 2024, and New Mexico has never been included, despite hosting the first ever nuclear test.

Mary Martinez White, a member of the steering committee for the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, says this is one of the main reasons for the exhibit, and is pushing for lawmakers to compensate those affected by Trinity before time runs out.

New Mexico lawmakers are currently working to expand the act.

“There’s only 11 months left in the radiation exposure compensation act, and if this legislation does not get passed, New Mexico will be permanently left out," said Martinez White.

Downwinders, such as Peralta, agree.

“They’re helping the other states, I don’t know why they left New Mexico out," said Peralta.

Martinez white adds if you want to help the downwinders, the best thing you can do is call your state lawmakers to expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, stating congressional phone calls are tallied.

The exhibit will be on display until Saturday, September 23rd at the Branigan Cultural Center, located at 501 N. Main St. in downtown Las Cruces.