Image caption President Pinera has been criticised for gaffes in the past 
 
 Politicians in Chile have criticised President Sebastian Pinera for a joke he told at a summit on Monday. 
 
 Senator Ximena Rincon said the president had embarrassed Chile with his "prehistoric and sexist remark". 
 
 President Pinera asked what the difference between a politician and a woman was, saying a politician meant "No" when he said "maybe", while a woman meant "maybe" when she said "No". 
 
 President Pinera had told the joke at a heads of state meeting in Mexico. 
 
 "Do you know what the difference between a politician and a lady is?" President Pinera asked at the closing meeting in Tuxtla. 
 
 "When a politicians says 'Yes', he means 'maybe', when he says 'maybe', he means 'No', and if he says 'No', he's not a politician," he continued. 
 
 "When a lady says 'No', she means 'maybe', when she says 'maybe', she means 'Yes', and if she says 'Yes', she's not a lady'," he said, as some in the audience laughed. 
 
 'Shameful remark' 
 
 Opposition Senator Ximena Rincon said the president had brought shame on Chile and asked him to outline his government's view of women. 
 
 "Remarks like these are an affront to women and an embarrassment for this country, in terms of gender politics, they set us back some 20 years," she said. 
 
 She also asked Women's Minister Carolina Schmidt to comment. 
 
 Ms Schmidt wrote on her Twitter account that the president liked to crack jokes, but that this one had not amused her. 
 
 Former women's minister and opposition politician Laura Albornoz called the remark "unfortunate" and said she hoped President Pinera would "recognise his mistake, as such remarks send a contradictory signal about the defence of the rights of women". 
 
 It is not the first time President Pinera has come under fire for his behaviour abroad. 
 
 Last year, during an official visit to Germany, he wrote the historically charged slogan "Deutschland Ueber Alles" into the guest book of German President Christian Wulff. 
 
 President Pinera later apologised for writing the phrase, which is generally associated with Nazi Germany. 
 
 It has historically formed part of the first verse of Germany's national anthem, but it is no longer sung, having been dropped after WWII because it was considered too nationalistic. ||||| Latin American heads of state met in Caracas, Venezuela last Friday and Saturday for the inaugural summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, or CELAC by its Spanish acronym. On the second day of the summit, the representatives from the 33 sovereign states of Latin America and the Caribbean that will comprise the Community, named Chilean President Sebastián Piñera as its president pro-tempore. 
 
 About the writer 
 
 David Pedigo 
 
 Originally from Chicago, Illinois, David received his BA in International Relations from Beloit College in 2011. Ten days after receiving his diploma, he was on a flight to Santiago to work for a foreign exchange program. Although originally working a temporary position, David decided to stay in Chile longer and explore his passion for writing through the Santiago Times. He likes to keep up to date on current events around the world, but he has a particular passion and interest in the Americas. He has also lived in Ecuador, and plans to one day get his Master’s in International Affairs.
– Opposition lawmakers in Chile say President Sebastian Pinera embarrassed the country by telling a sexist joke to the other 32 heads of state at a regional summit over the weekend. "Do you know what the difference between a politician and a lady is?" he asked. "When a politician says 'Yes,' he means 'Maybe,' when he says 'Maybe,' he means 'No,' and if he says 'No,' he's not a politician. When a lady says 'No,' she means 'Maybe,' when she says 'Maybe,' she means 'Yes,' and if she says 'Yes,' she's not a lady." An opposition senator slammed Pinera for the "prehistoric and sexist remark" at the inaugural Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, and urged the country's women's minister to comment, the BBC reports. The minister responded that while Pinera often cracked jokes, she didn't find this one amusing. The other heads of state at the CELAC summit apparently weren't too offended by the joke—Pinera was chosen as the first head of the new international body, the Santiago Times reports.