Chamorro Offers Talks to End Walkout : Nicaragua: The Sandinista-led strike has threatened her rule. She demands that order first be restored.

President Violeta Barrios de Chamorro and army commander Gen. Humberto Ortega called Wednesday for an end to three days of strike-inspired violence, and Chamorro agreed to negotiate with the rebellious workers once order is restored.

The streets of Managua were quiet Wednesday night as most Sandinista strikers and government supporters appeared to heed the call and most residents remained behind locked doors, unsure whether the gunfire, bombs, arson and mob fights are over.

Earlier in the day, however, an explosion knocked a pro-government radio station off the air.

Chamorro reversed her government’s earlier insistence that the strikes, which began July 2, must end before talks could begin.

“When the streets and highways are cleared of obstacles, government properties are in the hands of civilian authorities and the services of the state have been plainly restored, I will call for a renewal of the dialogue,” she said at a joint news conference with Ortega.

Ortega pledged that the army would have Managua back to near-normal today.

Chamorro said the dialogue could begin as early as this morning but did not say whether the talks would address the main demands of the strikers--a voice in setting economic policies and a review of plans to privatize government-run industries.

Ortega said four people had been killed and 15 to 20 wounded in confrontations between Sandinista strikers and government supporters. The Nicaraguan Human Rights Commission earlier estimated 84 injured.

Presidential spokesman Danilo Lacayo said Chamorro “called for public condemnation” of the explosion at the Radio Corp. station. The station’s director blamed the Sandinistas for the blast that destroyed its transmitter and antenna.

The unions that called the strikes as well as the army and police are led by the Sandinista party, now the main opposition to Chamorro’s 10-week-old administration.

Although Chamorro is also the defense minister, the army is run by Ortega, a member of the Sandinista’s nine-member directorate until March.

Ortega said the army would never back a coup. At the same time, he made it clear the military would stop short of all-out force against the strikers.

The armed forces, he said, “will never carry out a coup against any government here, much less the government of Dona Violeta. But neither will the army and police fire on the people.”

At a news conference attended by the U.S. and Soviet ambassadors and other members of the diplomatic corps, Chamorro said, “I feel very sure I will serve out my term.”

Her confidence that she will serve until 1995 stemmed from the promise of the Sandinista People’s Army to obey her command to restore order.

Police and army loyalty have been a key issue since Chamorro defeated Ortega’s brother, Daniel Ortega, in the Feb. 25 general elections.

Tens of thousands of striking government workers have closed down public services. Strike leaders say 90,000 workers have joined the walkouts.

The unions that called the strikes have demanded more participation in government economic policy-making and bitterly dispute plans to cut back civil service workers hired during the past administration. They won 100% pay raises in a May strike.

Chamorro’s coalition--the 14-party United National Opposition--proposed the layoffs as part of a plan to restart the Nicaraguan economy, which was ruined during the civil war with the U.S.-backed Contras and a trade embargo imposed during the Reagan Administration.