This past Cuban Independence day, the town of West New York, New Jersey marked the occasion by raising the Cuban flag at their town hall while signing the Cuban National anthem.

Among them was The Association of Cuban Former Political Prisoners, most of who were imprisoned after taking part in the original failed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in 1961.

The first who landed during that invasion, Alvin Ross, says today's dissidents should resort to violence and sabotage.

"sometimes you have to spread a little blood to get freedom, and I advise them to start sabotaging where you work, throw nails on the road to flatten tires and things like that, you know do something don't stay there you know all day playing dominos and watching baseball once a week and things like that, you know we never had that in Cuba, in Cuba the Cubans like these old people they fought all the time, they got Machado the dictator out they got Batista out, they have everybody out, and these people they don't want to fight" Alvin Ross Former Political Prison For 2 years

There are currently dozens of dissidents on hunger strike in Cuba today, most of which are being forced fed by the Cuban government but since 1966 thirteen have died. Up until 1980 before the Mariel boat lift the Castro regime had systematically imprisoned thousands of dissidents and counterrevolutionaries for years and even decades. One of the Bay of Pig's commanders, Montero Duque, imprisoned for 25 years, says while dissidents today usually don't face long prison sentences they do have all their benefits taken away from them.

"Yes, yes, yes, all that are adversaries of the government have their benefits taken away and our limited, our limited from the confections given by the government and more"

Montero Duque Political Prisoner For 25 years

"The little the Cuban government gives to the people doesn't it give it to them because of the simple reason that their antecedents don't allow them to , it goes first to the night guards or those who are militant, Who is totally at their side" Angel Alfonso Political Prisoner For 19 years

Their association in Union City, New Jersey works with dozens of exile organizations and keeps direct links with dissidents in Cuba to provide modest financial support for dissidents who in many cases get framed for crimes they didn't commit.

"Yoani Sanchez, Farinas, Paya's daughter have said clearly that the current system normally whatever occurs in any town they immediately gather everyone they consider keep them for a few days beat them and do whatever they want to do with them and then they set them free afterwards. Why? Because the system has changed, they don't want to maintain people in prison for a long time anymore because immediately international organizations like Amnesty international, exiles and everyone start to form demands and actually they want to give, they are giving. a different face or vice that's a little different from the patrons that have reigned all these years. This is the difference between older political prisoners today and those of before." Angel Alfonso

"The generation that has the power in Cuba is gone, they are very old and we hope that the change is coming after them and in this change maybe the cause of the liberty and democracy will arrive"

Jose Solana Political Prisoner For 10 years

"And me I think inside the Cuban government there are men that think and don't agree with the horrors that these people have committed and how these people have perpetrated power. "Montero Duque

Most Cuban exiles look to the U-S government to further isolate the Cuban regime while hoping that the inevitable death of an aging Fidel Castro, who took so much from them, could spark a new hope for democracy.

"Now the department of state lets the Cubans that use to torture prisoners over there, they are officers that work in security, seguridad del estado, they, the minister of the interior, come and go like nothing in Miami and Tampa Florida and everything." Alvin Ross

Written by Ben Jimenez