Podcast Summary: Hoy por Hoy – "La mirada" con Luis García Montero

Episode Date: October 14, 2025
Host: Àngels Barceló (SER Podcast)
Guest Segment: Luis García Montero

1. Overview of the Episode's Main Theme

This episode of "Hoy por Hoy" features the reflective segment "La mirada" by the renowned poet and essayist Luis García Montero. Broadcasting from Arequipa, Peru, in the context of the 10th International Congress of the Spanish Language, García Montero delves into the philosophical and social importance of the words "yo" (I) and "tú" (you). He uses the language congress as a springboard to explore identity, empathy, ethical boundaries, and societal responsibility.

2. Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Setting: International Congress of the Spanish Language

• [00:08] García Montero sets the scene in Arequipa, Peru—land of Mario Vargas Llosa and host to the language congress.
• The congress addresses the Spanish language in relation to cultural mixing, institutions, democratic values, and artificial intelligence.

The Philosophical Other: “Yo” and “Tú”

• García Montero invites listeners to ground lofty debates about language with everyday, practical questions about self and other.
• Key question: “¿Por ejemplo, la palabra yo qué digo cuando digo soy yo?” (What am I saying when I say I am myself?)

The Interdependence of Self and Other

• True self-knowledge, he argues, arises not in isolation but in relation with others:
  • "Para saber lo que somos, nada mejor que relacionar el yo con el tú" (To know what we are, there is nothing better than relating the 'I' with the 'you'). [00:35]
• The boundary between exploiting and supporting others is drawn in the way we perceive 'tú'.

The Ethics of Interaction

• García Montero identifies three faces of “tú”:
  • The “tú” as an object for exploitation and business at the expense of others:
    • "El tú puede ser el objetivo del que quiere hacer negocio a costa de los otros."
  • The “tú” as a potential victim:
    • "El tú puede ser la víctima del que pretende explotar a los demás."
  • The “tú” as a companion in the quest for justice:
    • "Pero el tú puede ser también la compañía del que necesita un mundo justo frente a la soberbia de los depredadores."
• He emphasizes the need for solidarity and justice:
  • "No lo olvidemos en ningún congreso internacional." (Let's not forget this at any international congress.)

The Poet’s Commitment: Choosing Hope

• García Montero positions himself squarely with the “yo” that needs a “tú” to love and to imagine a fair world:
  • "En este congreso apuesto por el yo que necesita un tú para amar. Es el yo que puede comprometerse, el yo que no quiere perder la esperanza, el yo que sabe decir tú, dispuesto a imaginar un mundo más justo." [01:02-01:24]
• Hope and commitment to others are, for him, antidotes to exploitation and alienation.

3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On self-knowledge:

  • “Para saber lo que somos, nada mejor que relacionar el yo con el tú qué dices cuando dices eres tú.”
    — Luis García Montero [00:35]

• On the multiple faces of 'tú':

  • “El tú puede ser el objetivo del que quiere hacer negocio a costa de los otros. El tú puede ser la víctima del que pretende explotar a los demás. Pero el tú puede ser también la compañía del que necesita un mundo justo frente a la soberbia de los depredadores.”
    — Luis García Montero [00:50]

• On hope and commitment:

  • “Apuesto por el yo que necesita un tú para amar. Es el yo que puede comprometerse, el yo que no quiere perder la esperanza, el yo que sabe decir tú, dispuesto a imaginar un mundo más justo. Falta nos hace.”
    — Luis García Montero [01:15]

4. Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:08] Introduction from Arequipa, context of the Language Congress
• [00:35] The philosophical framing of “yo” and “tú”
• [00:50] The three faces of “tú”: business, victim, companion
• [01:02] Personal stance of the speaker—choosing empathy and hope
• [01:24] Closing reflection

5. Conclusion

With poetic clarity, Luis García Montero uses the setting of an international language congress to advocate for a vision of identity rooted in solidarity, compassion, and social justice. He warns against reducing others to mere objects of profit or exploitation, and instead calls for a “yo” that seeks a “tú” to love, support, and imagine a more just world together.