What is "plantado"

Plantados, the most stubborn political prisoners in Fidel Castro's jails, the ones who endured the harshest punishment. In 1961, the Cuban penal system introduced a progressive rehabilitation program. Those who participated willingly attended political education classes and performed manual labor. They were generally treated better, allowed more visits and released sooner. Those who stood on principle and refused were called Plantados - the immovable ones. The plantados rebelled against forced-labor, working as slow as possible. Some died from the beatings they were given. Later, when regular prisoners were given blue prison uniforms, the plantados were left with only their underwear. For many years Castro refused to free plantados who had once been his allies.

In the 1980s, a new group of prisoners say they have become the new plantados.