BY KATHLEEN McGRORY

Leaders of a Cuban exile group today denounced a Miami Herald investigation that found that at least 10 South Florida journalists regularly received U.S. government pay for hosting shows or appearing on TV and Radio Martí.

The Sept. 8 report led to the dismissal of two El Nuevo Herald reporters and one freelance writer who hosted shows for the government broadcaster while also working for the Spanish-language daily. It also caused more than 1,200 subscribers to The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald to cancel their subscriptions.

In the days since, the article has come under fire on local Spanish radio. Today, the Cuban Liberty Council gathered at Versailles Restaurant in Little Havana, calling the article ''erroneous and deceiving,'' and ''discriminatory'' against the Cuban community.

''We reject the efforts of The Miami Herald to silence our voice in Cuba,'' Remedios Diaz-Oliver said in Spanish. ``These journalists were professional and ethical. They brought their voices to TV and radio in an objective manner.''

Jesús Díaz Jr., the publisher of both newspapers, said in a letter to readers published in Sunday's Miami Herald that the newspaper's editorial pages have long supported Radio and TV Martí, but that he approved the dismissals of the three writers, because ``as the publisher of these newspapers, I am deeply committed to the separation between government and a free press.''

The published added that all the three violated the company's conflict-of-interest rules, policies all newsroom employees acknowledge.

Radio and TV Martí are U.S. government programs created to promote democracy and freedom in Cuba. Their programming cannot be broadcast within the United States because of anti-propaganda rules. Radio and TV Martí's own rules require full-time employees to get permission from the government before freelancing for private entities.

But Diaz-Oliver said the article did irreparable damage to the journalists it cited, and to the movement for a free and independent Cuba.

''Now we want to know, what does The Herald plan to do to prove that these journalists did not accept wrongful payments from the U.S. government?'' she said.

Horacio Garcia, who directs the council's executive committee, echoed the sentiment.

''They may have power and money, but we have patriotism and dignity,'' he said. ``We will not allow them to demoralize the Cuban exile community.''