He named many of the dissidents during the broadcast. He said one had approached embassies here about meeting with leaders during the Nov. 15-16 gathering of heads of state from Spain, Portugal and Latin America.
"They were planning a parallel summit," Castro said angrily.
Jorge Olivera Castillo, an independent journalist who was among the many dissidents named by the Cuban leader, denied Castro's accusation.
"He is accusing us of trying to destroy the Ibero-American summit," Olivera Castillo said. "This is absolutely false."
Listing people by name publicly "has never happened before," said Olivera Castillo, who works with the independent news agency Habana Press. "We really regret this attack. The language was very aggressive."
The dissidents have made no secret of their plans to use the gathering to draw attention to their complaints – among them that the communist government does not allow freedom of expression, assembly and movement.
They have grown bolder as the summit approaches, even gathering with foreign journalists in a restaurant patio during last week's visit here by Illinois Gov. George Ryan. Cuba's largely timid opponents most often meet with reporters only indoors.
It was not immediately clear if Castro planned any action against the dissidents before the summit. Cuba's human rights record remains a shadow over the gathering, which Cuba hopes will help improve relations with Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking nations.
Some countries attending the summit, notably Spain, have pushed for freeing four internationally known Cuban dissidents, sentenced earlier this year to prison terms ranging from 4½ to six years.
During the broadcast today, Castro discussed the four, reading portions of their documents calling on Miami exiles to encourage relatives on the island to undertake civil disobedience.
"These are political prisoners?" he asked.
King Juan Carlos I and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar have said they will attend the summit. But at least five heads of state have said they will not attend, despite vigorous efforts by Cuba's Foreign Ministry.
Costa Rican President Miguel Angel Rodriguez says he will not be there because Castro did not guarantee him the right to meet with dissidents. Nicaraguan President Arnoldo Aleman says he won't go because of political differences with Castro, and El Salvador's president, Francisco Flores, says he will not come because his country and Cuba have no diplomatic relations.
The other two no-shows – Chilean President Eduardo Frei and outgoing Argentine President Carlos Menem – are not coming to protest Spain's attempt to extradite former Chilean military leader Gen. Augusto Pinochet from Britain for trial on torture charges.
During the televised appearance today, Castro focused much time on a highly publicized 40-day liquid fast by dissidents earlier this year.
Castro offered extensive details about what the group ate daily, including milk with chocolate, chicken soup, yogurt, ice cream, and fruit juice. He joked, "with all that, they should have gained weight."
Castro also read detailed visitor lists and said 54 foreign journalists and five Interests Section officials visited the group the final day of its fast.
The Cuban president said he had no problem with the correspondents, adding that "this isn't a war with the agencies." But he criticized American officials who visited, including Michael Kozak, then the U.S. Interests Section mission chief.
Castro also accused Interests Section officials of trying to block his meeting last week with Ryan, the first American governor to visit the island since the 1959 revolution. The president did not describe the alleged attempts to block the meeting.
Ryan had a seven-hour meeting with Castro last week before returning to the United States. He repeatedly called for an end to the U.S. trade embargo during his four-day stay.
Telephones at the Interests Section rang unanswered early today.
© Copyright 1999 The Associated Press