Leading Venezuela opposition figure barred from office 15 years

By Alexandra Ulmer and Brian EllsworthCARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles on Friday was banned from holding political office for 15 years, a move that could galvanize protests against the leftist government and upend a presidential election in 2018.Capriles, a two-time presidential candidate and current governor of Miranda state, was seen as the opposition's best hope to defeat President Nicolas Maduro.The national comptroller banned him from office due to "adminis