Venezuela’s political turmoil has become satirical and dramatic fodder for Venezuelans’ favorite medium: the television soap opera.

Political revolutions are usually accompanied by cultural revolutions in art, music, and literature. But it is on television soap operas that the cultural war for Venezuela’s political future is being waged.

Two soap operas aired on independently owned television stations portray satirical versions of Mr. Chavez.

“Cosita Rica,” or, “Sweet Thing,” which airs on press mogul Gustavo Cisneros’s Venevision, features Olegario Perez, a character based on Mr. Chavez who has moved from the slums to the city to find his long-lost father. In recent episodes, Mr. Perez has sought therapy for sexual problems.

The relationship between Mr. Chavez and Mr. Cisneros, Venezuela’s biggest press mogul, who backed Mr. Chavez in 1998 when he first ran for president, became so tense that President Carter, who is monitoring the recall referendum, orchestrated a meeting in June to calm them down.

A pollster for Sumate, a nongovernmental organization that led the drive to collect the signatures for the recall petition, Roberto Abdul, said: “The problem is that the politicians in the government know how to play the game with tools and guns. They’re really good at using media and propaganda. The opposition has private media at its disposal, but does not have a strong campaign against the government. There’s a lot of news, but not a campaign.”

Nevertheless, Venezuela’s electorate is so polarized that analysts and political observers worry that a narrow mar gin of victory or defeat for Mr. Chavez could spark violence or, worse, civil war.

In “Radio Rochela,” the oldest television soap opera in Venezuela, viewers only see the back of a fictional Mr. Chavez’s head. “Radio” runs on Mondays. Not to be outdone, Mr. Chavez has Channel 8, the state-run television network at his disposal, which is a constant stream of pro-Chavez programming.

“Amores de Barrio Dentro” or “Love Inside the Barrio” airs every Wednesday, and it is a love story between a pro-Chavez woman and an agnostic male journalist who fall in love. The show tracks the events of Mr. Chavez’s presidency, including the brief coup in April 2002.

On Sundays, Mr. Chavez hosts his talk show, “Alo Presidente,” where he sometimes takes phone calls from viewers and has been known to talk for up to six hours.

Music is also playing a role, but not as a medium to transmit a message.

Primero Justicia, an opposition political party of lawyers and political activists, held a concert for political prisoners earlier this month. Malanga, a popular Venezuelan rock group, performed at the concert, singing a few songs, but none political in nature.

“We are not thinking of the meaning, we just give our music,” said Ari Barbella, 33, Malanga’s lead singer. “Of course, [the recall] is all we talk about. There are no concerts because of the economic situation, so now we do this.”

That night, Mr. Chavez attended a concert for his supporters across town. While he relies on Cuban and traditional merengue music, the Venezuelan rock and roll group Madera, meaning “wood,” says it’s backing Mr. Chavez in the recall.