Brazil's central bank calls auction to buy dollars

SAO PAULO, June 17 (Reuters) - Brazil's central bank offered to buy U.S. dollars on the spot foreign exchange market on Wednesday, seeking to soak up a flood of greenbacks flowing into the country.

Brazil's currency, the real (BRBY: Quote, Profile, Research), was trading 0.6 percent weaker at 1.976 per U.S. dollar shortly after the central bank announcement.

The bank has bought dollars every session since May 8, making almost $4.1 billion in purchases in the past month in the spot market. (Reporting by Jose de Castro; Writing by Elzio Barreto)