President apologizes for 'lesbian' gibe

Bolivian President Evo Morales apologized to his health minister on Tuesday after suggesting she was a lesbian for talking with another woman as he gave a speech.

"I don't want to think you're a lesbian," the president told Health Minister Ariana Campero on Monday, chiding her for not listening as he gave a speech at a ceremony to mark the handover of new ambulances to a rural region.

Morales, who describes himself as a "feminist, but one who tells macho jokes", came under fire from women's and gay rights activists for the comment.