Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday announced the release of people jailed on charges of inciting violence during anti-government protests as part of a policy of "pacification" and "reconciliation."

Maduro made the announcement after being sworn in as president for the 2019-25 period in a controversial ceremony before the Constituent Assembly.

More than 300 people are in jail on charges of inciting violence during the 2014 and 2017 protests, according to the organization Venezuelan Penal Forum, which regards them as political prisoners. The protests left a total of more than 160 people dead.

"I want a policy of pacification, of meeting again and of national reconciliation," Maduro said, calling on those who were involved in the violence to engage in a peaceful "political fight."

The president announced a program also including the fight against hyperinflation, national defense against U.S. sanctions, the elimination of poverty and maintenance of the socialist ideology.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday issued an order banning U.S. companies and individuals from certain transactions with the Venezuelan government in an effort to starve it of cash and prevent profiteering by corrupt officials. The order, which banned the purchase of debts owed to the Venezuelan government or government-controlled enterprises, followed a series of sanctions imposed on the Maduro regime in recent years.

The new sanctions "do not intimidate me," but they "make the people suffer," Maduro said, vowing that the country would "overcome" the "painful difficulties" caused by the measures. Maduro also said that Venezuela's leaders "are not doing enough and well enough."

"We need to profoundly correct things," he added, without explicitly mentioning the country's massive economic crisis.

The National Assembly has said it does not recognize the result of the elections, which were denounced as undemocratic by the United States, more than 12 Latin American countries and the European Union. Opposition candidate Henri Falcon said Wednesday that he will legally challenge Maduro's victory, which he regards as fraudulent.