World Notes NICARAGUA

With a jubilant banner headline, THE PEOPLE TRIUMPH, Nicaragua's sole opposition newspaper returned to the streets last week after a 15-month shutdown by the Sandinista government. More than 200,000 copies of the twelve- page edition of La Prensa were snapped up by Nicaraguans eager for uncensored news.

The paper was closed the day after Congress voted $100 million in U.S. aid to the contra rebels fighting to topple the Nicaraguan government. La Prensa's revival is one of the most dramatic in a series of goodwill gestures by the Sandinistas to demonstrate their commitment to a regional peace plan signed in Guatemala City two months ago.

At La Prensa, optimism was mixed with skepticism. "Today, La Prensa returns to you," read a message from Publisher Violeta Chamorro. "We have faith it will be for a long time." The paper vowed that it would close rather than submit to censorship.