The movement's decline, however, has not dampened the women's resolve. In early May, they filed a legal complaint arguing that the plant's off-site emergency plan is seriously inadequate and does not meet standards set in federal law. Their tenacity and devotion to the cause, already widely recognized in Mexico, are beginning to receive attention abroad. Velma Garcia, a political scientist at Smith College, published a book last year about them titled Mothers and the Mexican Antinuclear Movement. Garcia, who received a Ford Foundation grant to study the group, says that she was drawn to Las Madres by their remarkable persistence.
Most social groups give up their campaigns when their issues begin losing steam.
But Las Madres have remained steadfastly loyal to their ideals and have refused to make any compromises. They are very much invested in the idea that they are above politics and are only trying to protect their children and society. We don't want the threat of catastrophe always hanging over our families. Nuclear power is not necessary in Mexico. We are rich in so many other sources of energy.